Iowa Athletics, The Swarm Announce Strategic Transition to Support Student-Athlete Success

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa Department of Athletics and The Swarm Inc. announced Wednesday a strategic transition that reflects the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics and name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities.

As part of this transition, The Swarm will phase out its membership payments, end auto-renewals, pause future NIL activations, and direct remaining organizational resources to the University of Iowa Athletics Department’s Flight Funds in support of Hawkeye student-athletes.

Founded in 2022, The Swarm helped University of Iowa student-athletes capitalize on NIL opportunities by connecting them with fans, businesses, and charitable initiatives while providing meaningful support during the early years of the NIL era. As NIL opportunities and new revenue-sharing models have evolved, athletic departments are increasingly creating opportunities directly with corporate partners, multimedia rights holders, and other stakeholders, reducing the role of third-party collectives.

"The Swarm Collective and Swarm Inc. were founded with a singular mission: to provide opportunities for Iowa student-athletes during a transformative period in college sports. Thanks to the incredible support of so many fans, we have been successful in that mission, but times have changed," said Brad Heinrichs, chief executive officer of The Swarm. "We are proud of what was accomplished, proud of the relationships that were built, and proud of the role our supporters played in helping Hawkeye student-athletes succeed. As the NIL environment and overall structure of college athletics continue to change, we believe this is the appropriate time to effectively pause our efforts and direct our remaining resources in a manner that continues to benefit Iowa student-athletes and Iowa Athletics. If the landscape changes in the future, we will reengage and be ready to help support the Athletics Department."

Over the past several years, The Swarm played an instrumental role in helping University of Iowa student-athletes capitalize on NIL opportunities during a period of significant change in intercollegiate athletics. Through the support of thousands of contributors, the collective helped position Iowa student-athletes for success while strengthening the connection between Hawkeye fans and the programs they passionately support.

"The Swarm was created during a pivotal moment in college athletics, and its impact on our student-athletes and programs cannot be overstated. There will always be a deep appreciation for Brad stepping up and creating the collective and in addition to the donors who helped support the initiative," said Beth Goetz, Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair. "We still need those individuals to help today’s Hawkeye student-athletes. The incredible support our Flight Funds received this past year highlights the opportunities in today’s current environment. Our team continues to work hard highlighting how any donor, at any level, has an impact on the success of our teams."

The Swarm will work closely with Iowa Athletics throughout the transition, with its remaining resources supporting the Athletics Department's Flight Funds to benefit Hawkeye programs.

Iowa Athletics and The Swarm thank the many donors, partners, fans, and student-athletes for their support and contributions during a transformative era in Hawkeye Athletics.