Friends of the University of Notre Dame becomes sponsor of Notre Dame Athletics

SOUTH BEND, Ind., May 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Friends of the University of Notre Dame, Inc., a collective working to bring NIL opportunities to Notre Dame student-athletes, is announcing its collaboration with Notre Dame Global Partnerships.

"We are so proud to be able to work with a tremendous organization and board of directors at Friends of the University of Notre Dame," said University of Notre Dame Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick. "The work of this organization is critical to our pursuit of national championships and we couldn't have found a better supporter of that vision. Lastly, a tremendous thank you to Brady Quinn for his dedication to this endeavor to create opportunities for our student-athletes."

Founded in 2022, Friends of the University of Notre Dame is a stand-alone 501(c)(3) registered non-profit and its vision is to provide NIL opportunities for Notre Dame student-athletes while advocating for and advancing charitable endeavors on a local, national and international level.

"We are proud to work with Notre Dame Athletics through Friends of the University of Notre Dame to further advance, empower and enrich Notre Dame student-athletes to be a 'force for good' by promoting charitable causes they are passionate about," said Friends of the University of Notre Dame founder, Brady Quinn.

Recently, Friends of the University of Notre Dame elected new board members to join its efforts in providing an enhanced breadth of leadership, fundraising expertise, operational excellence and deep engagement with the University of Notre Dame. The  Board of Directors includes:

• Jordan Cornette, former Notre Dame men's basketball player and current ACC + ESPN media personality
• Greg Dugard, former AVP of Principal Gifts at Notre Dame and current partner, Sator Grove (newly elected chair of Friends of Notre Dame)
• Jimmy Dunne, vice chair and senior managing principal, Piper Sandler (newly elected vice chair of Friends of Notre Dame)
• Pat Eilers, former Notre Dame football player and current founder, managing partner, Transition Equity Partners
• Jay Flaherty, founder and managing partner, Corby 2.0, LLC
• Tracy Graham, former Notre Dame football player and current founder, managing partner, Graham-Allen Partners
• Karen Keyes, former Notre Dame women's basketball player and current Notre Dame women's basketball color commentator
• Chris Reyes, chair, Reyes Holdings
• Brady Quinn, former Notre Dame football player and current FOX sports media personality

In addition to a revamped Board of Directors, Friends of the University of Notre Dame has recently invested in a dynamic day-to-day staff led by Executive Director Kevin Klau. Klau spent the past two decades at Danaher Corporation, including several senior leadership roles, helping drive one of the great compounding stories in the last 50 years. In his role as Executive Director, Klau will ensure that Notre Dame student-athletes have the resources necessary to enable NIL participation in a manner compliant with applicable laws and regulations, including those set forth by the State of Indiana, the NCAA and the University of Notre Dame. In addition to Klau, Megan Whitt continues to lead operations for Friends of the University of Notre Dame.

"I want to thank the past and present Board members for their work, and the University for their tremendous collaboration. This is an exciting day for Notre Dame and will set the stage for its student-athletes to continue to compete for championships for years to come," Brady Quinn further remarked.

About Friends of Notre Dame
The mission of Friends of the University of Notre Dame (www.fundfoundation.org) is to enable University of Notre Dame student-athletes to advocate for and amplify the work of nonprofits to help fulfill their respective charitable missions by doing in-person appearances and social media promotion. The Notre Dame student-athlete will receive payment for their work, while Friends of the University of Notre Dame will also provide donations to the non-profits. Through its first year of existence, the efforts of over 150 Notre Dame student-athletes have served 10 charities and generated hundreds of thousands of dollars of verified impact to the partner organizations.

About Notre Dame Global Partnerships

Notre Dame Global Partnerships (NGDP)(https://www.jmisports.com/our-partners/notre-dame-global-partnerships/) manages the sales, marketing, sponsorship, multimedia rights, and branding services for the University of Notre Dame's Athletics (www.und.com) programs. Founded in 2018, NDGP is a joint venture between JMI Sports and Legends, formed to build integrated partnerships with industry-leading partners that share the University's commitment to both academic and athletic excellence. Notre Dame's status as one of the most recognizable and iconic institutions in collegiate athletics offers brands a unique opportunity to connect with fans, students, and alumni globally. NDGP is creating new and innovative partnerships that contribute to the University's mission while also upholding its storied history and tradition.

Contact: Friends of the University of Notre Dame [email protected]

SOURCE Friends of the University of Notre Dame