Elevate Launches Collegiate Investment Initiative to Support Growth of Athletic Programs
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elevate, a leader in sports and entertainment strategy and investment, today announced the launch of its Collegiate Investment Initiative, in partnership with Velocity Capital Management ('Velocity') and the Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation ('Texas PSF'). This groundbreaking initiative reaffirms Elevate's long-standing commitment to college athletics and is designed to provide colleges and universities with capital and strategic resources to develop revenue-generating projects that deliver long-term, sustainable financial growth.
The Collegiate Investment Initiative's uniqueness originates from Elevate's existing long-term comprehensive operating agreements with its university partners, and the capital provided simply expands the scope and scale of these partnerships. Proceeds will accelerate infrastructure enhancements, immediately generating incremental revenue growth through additional fan engagement, leading to improved financial performance. Public announcements on two agreed-upon transactions are expected soon.
With the rapidly evolving landscape of collegiate athletics, including increased media rights opportunities, expanded playoff formats, and new avenues for fan engagement, Elevate's Collegiate Investment Initiative aims to position partner institutions for success in the next era of college sports.
The investment strategy will prioritize key infrastructure and commercial projects, such as modernized venues, premium seating expansions, multimedia rights optimization, NIL platforms, digital innovation, and broader fan experience enhancements. By aligning capital with strategic consulting and operational execution, Elevate offers a holistic solution beyond financing, ensuring each project maximizes return and institutional impact.
'College athletics are at a critical inflection point, and institutions need partners who can bring both capital and strategic expertise to the table,' said Al Guido, Chairman and CEO of Elevate. 'With the Collegiate Investment Initiative, we're doubling down on our commitment to helping schools thrive not just today, but for decades to come.'
Elevate has a proven track record of partnering with universities, conferences, and athletic departments nationwide, delivering transformational results that boost revenue, enhance brand equity, and improve the student-athlete and fan experience. The Collegiate Investment Initiative further solidifies Elevate's role as a trusted partner in shaping the future of college sports.
'This fund represents a major step forward in how we support our collegiate partners,' said Jonathan Marks, Chief Business Officer, College at Elevate. 'Universities are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities in the new collegiate landscape. Our investment is more than capital, it's about empowering institutions to think bigger, move faster, and build lasting infrastructure that fuels growth for generations of student-athletes, fans, and communities.'
'We are excited to be the catalyst for Elevate to launch a new vertical that will further its mission to be a value-add strategic partner to its collegiate clients,' said Robert L. Borden, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation. 'We are confident that the combination of Elevate's operating capabilities, Velocity's domain expertise and our capital will greatly benefit collegiate athletic programs during this unprecedented period of change and disruption. We will continue to seek ways to allocate additional capital and be a long-term permanent capital partner to Elevate and its clients as new opportunities arise.'
David Abrams, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Velocity, said, 'Elevate's initiative to invest capital to address the funding needs of colleges and universities is yet another example of how the Company is providing customized holistic solutions for its clients. We have witnessed the value that Elevate has generated for its collegiate clients and are thrilled to be part of an initiative that will definitively play a critical role in the transformation of college sports.'
Colleges and universities interested in exploring partnership opportunities with the Collegiate Investment Fund are encouraged to contact Elevate directly.
About Elevate
Elevate is a global, integrated agency network committed to helping properties, brands, and universities forge deeper connections with their audiences to unlock growth. Serving more than 1,000 clients across sports, entertainment, consumer products, retail, and more, Elevate transforms followers into devoted fans.
An agency rooted in innovation, Elevate leverages EPIC, its proprietary intelligence platform powered by advanced data and AI technology. EPIC integrates tools for consumer insights, ticketing, property analytics, and more, empowering clients to maximize ROI, enhance fan engagement, and craft campaigns that foster lasting loyalty.
Founded in 2018, Elevate partners with clients worldwide from offices across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. For more information, visit us at www.oneelevate.com.
About The Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation
The Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation was created by Texas' first Constitution in 1845 as a perpetual fund to invest for the benefit of the state's public schools. Since that time, the Texas PSF has grown to comprise nearly $60 billion in assets and distributes nearly $2.2 billion annually to Texas K-12 schools. In 2021 the 87th Texas Legislature established the Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation as a stand-alone special-purpose governmental corporation.
Founded in 2021, Velocity Capital Management is an operationally intensive middle-market private equity firm leveraging its influential capital and domain operating expertise to grow best-in-class businesses in the sports, media, and entertainment ecosystem. Velocity's leadership has nearly 90 years of institutional investment and C-suite and ownership experience throughout the firm's core investment verticals. Velocity has a strategic partnership with the Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation, a Texas-based Sovereign Wealth Fund with approximately $60.0 billion in assets. Velocity currently has investments in Elevate Sports Ventures, Unique Sports Group, Parella Motorsports, Videocites, X Games and Camp. For more information, please visit www.velocitycm.com.
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