Arizona Tribune - Bud Elliott's LevelUp Sports Plans Republic Offerings Tied to College Athletes' Future Income

NICEVILLE, FL / ACCESS Newswire / October 29, 2026 / LevelUp Sports, founded by college football analyst Bud Elliott, announced plans for potential offerings on Republic that would give individual investors access to securities tied to specified future college-athlete income. Each planned offering is expected to include a security linked to an athlete's income-sharing agreement with a collectible digital card.*

LevelUp provides athletes with capital upfront in exchange for an agreed share of future college income. Covered income may include name, image and likeness (NIL) payments and college revenue-share pay. Professional earnings, cost-of-living payments and W-2 employment income are excluded.

"College athletes are creating significant economic value through NIL, yet the investment opportunity around that value is still in its early stages," said Andrew Durgee, co-CEO of Republic. "LevelUp is bringing a new model to market that connects investors with the future earning potential of athletes, enabled by the securities infrastructure and tokenization technology of Republic. We're excited to help bring this new category of sports investing to the market."

LevelUp's approach starts with identifying players whose earning potential may not yet be fully recognized. Elliott, the company's CEO and creator of the Blue-Chip Ratio, brings more than a decade of recruiting analysis to that process.

The team combines data, film and conversations with coaches and trainers to assess what could change a player's earning power, including more playing time or a better role. It then evaluates the agreement's price, duration, covered income and payment structure.

"I can love a player and pass on a deal," Elliott said. "Talent still has a price. A great prospect at the wrong price is still the wrong investment."

Under the planned structure, investors may be entitled to receive payments from income covered by the athlete's agreement, subject to the offering terms. Those payments would not depend on reselling the associated collectible card. Each offering's documents on Republic would define the security, covered income, duration, fees, payment mechanics and risks.

Athletes receive capital through income-sharing agreements rather than traditional NIL sponsorship deals. Likeness licensing and promotional arrangements are separate from these income-sharing agreements, where applicable.

"An athlete is giving up a share of future income. That has to be worth it from their side, too," Elliott said. "We want our players to like the deal the day they sign it and still like it three years later."

Card sales are intended to provide an additional revenue source for LevelUp's business, alongside its participation in covered college income, potentially helping finance athletes without relying entirely on future athlete payments.

Original artwork and numbered card variations give each collection its identity. Financial participation is governed by the offering terms. Elliott also plans to share his case for each athlete and updates as the player's career progresses, giving collectors a story to follow beyond the initial release.

LevelUp plans to announce its first athlete before opening an offering on Republic. Company updates, athlete announcements and card previews will be available at levelupsports.com.

About LevelUp Sports

LevelUp Sports is an athlete financing and collectibles company founded by college football analyst Bud Elliott. Starting with football, the company provides capital through income-sharing agreements and plans offerings pairing collectible digital cards with financial interests tied to specified future college income. Learn more at levelupsports.com.

About Republic

Headquartered in New York City, Republic is a global financial firm operating a network of retail-focused investment platforms and an enterprise digital advisory arm. With a deep track record of legal and technical innovation, Republic is known for providing access to new asset classes to investors of all types. Backed by Valor Equity Partners, Galaxy Interactive, HOF Capital, AngelList and other leading institutions, Republic boasts a global portfolio of over 2,000 companies and a community of nearly three million members in over 150 countries. More than $3 billion has been deployed through investment platforms, funds, and firms within the Republic family of companies with operations established in the US, the UK, EU, the UAE and South Korea.

Contact

Bud Elliott, CEO, LevelUp Sports
[email protected]

*Any future Regulation Crowdfunding offering is expected to be conducted through OpenDeal Portal LLC, a funding portal registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA, operating under the Republic brand. No offering is currently open for investment.

NO MONEY OR OTHER CONSIDERATION IS BEING SOLICITED, AND IF SENT IN RESPONSE, WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. NO OFFER TO BUY THE SECURITIES CAN BE ACCEPTED AND NO PART OF THE PURCHASE PRICE CAN BE RECEIVED UNTIL AN OFFERING STATEMENT HAS BEEN FILED AND ONLY THROUGH AN INTERMEDIARY'S PLATFORM. A PERSON'S INDICATION OF INTEREST INVOLVES NO OBLIGATION OR COMMITMENT OF ANY KIND.

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SOURCE: LevelUp Sports

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

J.Gomez--AT