April isn’t just about spring football and basketball championship pursuits—it’s also Financial Literacy Month. In today’s collegiate athletics landscape, where Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities have transformed the practice of student-athletes understanding their finances is as crucial as mastering their sport.
Student-athletes are now balancing academics, athletics, and unprecedented financial opportunities. The influx of substantial earnings through endorsements and sponsorships (and soon-to-be rev sharing) has made financial literacy more essential than ever. For instance, according to On3’s NIL Valuations, top athletes like Arch Manning and Cooper Flagg have valuations of $6.5 million and $4.8 million, respectively. These figures highlight the significant financial stakes and underscore the need for informed money management.
As former WNBA champion and broadcaster Renee Montgomery emphasizes in Invesco QQQ’s social series The Huddle, “You start making money, and it feels like you’re invincible… but if you don’t understand how to handle it, you’ll realize quickly that money can leave just as fast as it came.” This insight underscores the importance of equipping student-athletes with the knowledge to manage their finances effectively.
Recognizing this need, Invesco QQQ, the Official ETF and Financial Education Partner of the NCAA®, has partnered with Teamworks Influencer to empower collegiate athletes with essential financial skills. This collaboration offers resources like the “How Not to Suck at Money: Financial Education Certification Course,” designed specifically for the NIL generation. The course covers critical financial literacy topics, providing student-athletes with the tools to navigate their earning potential and prepare for life beyond sports.
Designed to help support schools in states where financial education is required, “How Not to Suck at Money: Financial Education Certification Course” has nearly 4,500 registrations from across 400 schools, with 1,000+ completions. The course curriculum Includes:
- Banking & Monitoring Accounts
- Budgeting
- Self-Employed Budgeting
- Credit
- Managing Credit Cards
- Student Loans
- Becoming Independent
- Investing
The course was developed as an extension of Invesco QQQ’s free, mobile-first game, “How Not To Suck At Money”, which is the Official Financial Education Program of the NCAA. Informed by research with over 1,500 college students, this interactive game helps college students build core financial skills through real-world financial scenarios – making learning about money management both fun and practical.
The NIL era has rewritten the playbook for collegiate athletes, and this playbook will continue to evolve as we enter the rev-sharing era. Student-athletes are not just building stats; they’re building a brand and a future. Financial literacy is no longer an optional skill—it’s essential. This April, during Financial Literacy Month, take the opportunity to support your student-athletes in investing in their financial education.
About Invesco Ltd.
Invesco Ltd. is a global independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. Our distinctive investment teams deliver a comprehensive range of active, passive, and alternative investment capabilities. With offices in more than 20 countries, Invesco managed $1.66 trillion in assets on behalf of clients worldwide as of March 31, 2024. For more information, visit www.invesco.com.
About Invesco QQQ
Invesco QQQ is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). As the Official ETF of the NCAA®, Invesco QQQ is making financial education accessible and fun for students. Whether it’s through hosting conversations like the one we’re having today or sharing the benefits of Invesco QQQ’s free financial education game ‘How Not to Suck at Money,’ the fund is committed to educating the next generation of investors to make informed and confident financial decisions today, and in the future.
Invesco is not affiliated with Teamworks Influencer, Renee Montgomery, Cooper Flagg, Arch Manning, On3, WNBA, or the NCAA. NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
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