Garnet Trust Lands Seven-Figure Matching Gift

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Garnet Trust announced today that an anonymous donor committed to match all contributions to the Garnet Trust up to $1 million. The potential $2 million windfall would more than quadruple the previous largest gift to the Official NIL Partner of South Carolina Athletics.

The anonymous donor’s challenge seeks to inspire more Gamecock fans to join the surge of those already investing in University of South Carolina student-athletes. The pledge will match new memberships and any increased monthly payments of existing members between Nov. 28 and Dec. 20, the first day of college football’s early signing period. New donations to the Garnet Trust Foundation, which are 100% tax deductible, are also included in the matching gift.

“We are thankful for this leadership commitment to South Carolina’s student-athletes,” Garnet Trust Operations Director Jeremy Smith said. “This match does a couple of things: It doubles the impact of every Gamecock fan who may be wondering if their $10 per month can really make a difference to our student-athletes. Secondly, it serves as a marker for other major donors who may be waiting for someone else to make the first significant move in this space. We are excited to see how quickly Gamecock Nation rises to this challenge, knowing it is just the beginning of what is to come for our current and future South Carolina student-athletes.”

The Garnet Trust was designated as the Official NIL Partner of South Carolina Athletics in July 2023 in collaboration with South Carolina Athletics’ multimedia rightsholder, LEARFIELD Gamecock Sports Properties. Launched in 2021, The Garnet Trust’s goal has been to become the most unique, built-to-last and effective NIL entity in the country. It utilizes NIL deals to create experiences between the fan base, student-athletes and businesses.

The Garnet Trust also launched the Garnet Trust Foundation, with its mission to help promote, support and advance charitable organizations and causes, educate the general public regarding these charitable organizations and causes, and to make positive impacts on communities by utilizing the names, images, likenesses and notoriety of University of South Carolina student-athletes.

To learn more about the Garnet Trust, visit: https://www.garnettrust.com/.