SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State is boosting its NIL efforts with the launch of a new collective called ‘Maroon & Golden.’
The collective, which benefits student-athletes with compensation and resources for the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL), announced it signed its first two football players, redshirt senior safety Tory Spears, and senior defensive lineman Ben Bell.
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Representatives from the new collective tell KSAT that Maroon & Golden is designed to be a grassroots effort run by Texas State fans and supporters. It serves as a platform for Texas State fans to be a part of the new NIL landscape in collegiate athletics.
Texas State’s other primary NIL collective for all sports is called Victory Star. It was founded in the summer of 2023 and has partnered with local companies and businesses.
The M&G Collective began taking subscribers in January and has been growing, according to reps from the collective.
Spears and Bell are the first athletes under the M&G umbrella. Spears is a redshirt senior from Houston and a former All-Sun Belt honorable mention performer. He missed last season with an injury and has played a total of 30 games for the Bobcats.
Bell is a senior defensive lineman from Cedar Park, Texas. He has played 25 games with the Bobcats dating back to 2022. After the 2023 season, Bell was named All-Sun Belt Second Team, All-Sun Belt Third Team by Phil Steele, and All-Texas First Team by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. Bell tied for 9th in the country in sacks last season with 10 and tied for 20th in the country in tackles for loss with 16.