MSUFCU’s Women of Sparta for 2024-2025.
Credit/MSUFCU
Four months after announcing what officials called a “revolutionary” approach to its Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) programs, Michigan State University Federal Credit Union ($7.8 billion in assets, 359,937 members), based in East Lansing, Michigan, announced that its first group had been accepted into its NIL program, “Women of Sparta.”
MSUFCU took a unique position by focusing its NIL program on Michigan State University women’s sports. The credit union’s initiative is designed to provide support to student-athletes that goes beyond typical NIL contracts that focus only on financial compensation.
On Monday, MSUFCU announced the first group of female athletes as part of its Women of Sparta project. The athletes include:
- Cross country: Cookie Baugh (Junior), Sydnee Sinn (Sophomore)
- Hockey: Madeline Lawlor (Senior), Bianca Pizano (Sophomore)
- Golf: Brooke Biermann (Senior), Shannon Kennedy (Junior), Katie Lu (Senior)
- Gymnastics: Gabi Stephen (Senior)
- Rowing: Emily Crofut (junior), Haley Sornig (junior)
- Football: Justina Gaynor (graduate student), Jordyn Wickes (final year student)
- Soft ball: Britain Beshears (Junior), Payton Conroy (Sophomore)
- Athletics: Savannah Breitwiser (sophomore), Mia Rogan (sophomore)
- Volleyball: Julia Bishop (Senior), Makya Clayton (Sophomore)
- Basketball: Julia Ayrault (graduate student), Kennedy Blair (redshirt freshman), Sinai Douglas (freshman), Theryn Hallock (third-year sophomore), Nyla Hampton (graduate student), Helen Holley (freshman), Abbey Kimball (third-year sophomore), Mary Meng (redshirt freshman), Emma Shumate (third-year sophomore), Jaddan Simmons (graduate student), Jocelyn Tate (fourth-year sophomore), Grace VanSlooten (third-year sophomore), Juliann Woodard (freshman)
“Being a Woman of Sparta is an incredible opportunity to advance women’s sports at MSU,” said Sydnee Sinn, a sophomore in the cross country program. “This program allows me to combine my passions for athletics, community service, social media and personal development.”
According to MSUFCU, student-athletes participating in Women of Sparta “benefit from a range of tailored offerings that support their holistic development. These include financial education, personal branding workshops, mentorship programs, job shadowing, internship opportunities, and an expanded NIL program.”
The Women of Sparta program offers more than traditional NIL programs, according to Monday’s announcement. It includes financial education, personal branding workshops, mentorship programs, job shadowing and internship opportunities. MSUFCU’s expanded NIL program is designed to help student-athletes build important professional skills and succeed in their future careers.
“We are proud to welcome these remarkable student-athletes to our NIL partnership and offer a program that will significantly improve their financial, leadership and career preparation,” said April Clobes, President/CEO of MSUFCU. “Women of Sparta seeks to amplify the voices of female athletes, teach them important life skills and create pathways for their success on and off the field.”
