Nonprofit group The Horseshoe Club seeks to connect Boise State athletes with charities

Boise State’s nationally recognized Name, Image and Likeness program will now be supported by a new nonprofit organization known as The Horseshoe Collective.

The collective is seeking to raise awareness for local charitable causes by pairing them with community-minded Boise State football student-athletes looking to make a positive impact in the community, according to a release Tuesday announcing the launch of the collective.

“I am incredibly appreciative of the efforts of The Horseshoe Collective’s board of directors for seeking to positively impact our community and our football program,” Boise State Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey said in a statement. “This group will be a fantastic complement to the groundbreaking work our team is doing in the NIL space on a daily basis and provide yet another robust avenue to support Bronco student-athletes.”

Joe Nickell, former Boise State associate director of athletics, will serve as executive director of The Horseshoe Collective and run the organization’s day-to-day operations. Its board of directors includes Clint Bolinder, Torry McAlvain, Kevin McDonald and Mark Miller.

Boise State took home the award for best institutional NIL program during the inaugural NIL Summit in June.

“In this new era of collegiate athletics, you’re either moving forward or getting left behind,” Boise State football coach Andy Avalos said in a statement. “I am thrilled to see people that care about this program taking steps to keep Bronco football headed in the right direction, and look forward to Bronco Nation supporting The Horseshoe Collective and impacting our future success.”