For the first time in CMU history a Maverick signed what is being described as a “true” name, image and likeness (NIL) deal. The partnership is between ProSpace Interiors and senior women’s basketball guard Olivia Reed-Thyne.
NIL allows student athletes to partner with private businesses as brand ambassadors and marketers. While these opportunities have become common nationally, traditional advertising-based deals have been slower to develop at D2 institutions.
Longtime CMU supporter and President of ProSpace Dave Huerkamp said that Reed-Thyne contributed to television and radio commercials for the company.
“In the 45 years that I’ve been in ProSpace and handled the marketing and advertising, the NIL deal that we have done with Olivia has by far been the most positive, impactful thing we’ve ever done,” Huerkamp said. “The amount of feedback has just really been astounding.”
Huerkamp said Reed-Thyne was the obvious choice.
“I decided that Olivia would be an excellent brand ambassador for ProSpace because of the phenomenal career that she’s had here,” he said. “She really exemplifies a hardworking student athlete.”
Beyond her performance on the court, Reed-Thyne carries a 4.0 GPA, an accomplishment Huerkamp called “pretty amazing for a student athlete.”
Reed-Thyne said that CMU provided unimaginable opportunities, including this deal.
“I just feel so thankful and blessed, and there’s a lot of great athletes, not only in Division II, but at Colorado Mesa,” Reed-Thyne said. “So just being able to have that opportunity was really special.”
For Huerkamp, the agreement is also about direct financial support. He said that many athletes are not on a full-ride scholarship and have other financial burdens that come with schools. NIL deals are a way to financially support student athletes.
“In my opinion, probably the most important, impactful, amazing institution in Western Colorado is CMU,” Huerkamp said. “Any time that you can connect your business to something that has been as impactful as CMU is, it’s a win-win situation.”
University officials clarified the broader financial picture for Maverick athletics. A 2022–23 capital construction request to the state noted that “CMU’s Athletic Department doesn’t generate net revenues,” and that remains accurate.
Rather than operating as a profit-driven enterprise, CMU views athletics as an extension of its educational mission.
“In 2024, the CMU Foundation launched the Funding Maverick Champions campaign to raise funds specifically for athletic scholarships,” the department wrote in an email. “By fully funding scholarships for our student-athletes, we reduce the institutional resources required to sustain the programs.”
Within that framework, NIL partnerships provide an additional way for community members to support student-athletes without shifting the university’s mission.
Huerkamp said the impact of Reed-Thyne’s deal is already visible, with other local businesses exploring similar opportunities.
“I’m really excited that other businesses have stepped up and done some other NIL deals,” he said. “Hopefully we’ve opened up some opportunities for great partnerships between local businesses to help support these CMU student athletes.”
Women’s basketball Head Coach Taylor Wagner verified this by saying that other players have been receiving deals. He remarked on Huerkamp’s support of the team.
“[Dave’s] there in the front row at every game, and we sure do appreciate his loyalty,” Wagner said.
ProSpace established a permanent women’s basketball scholarship in September 2023, meeting and exceeding the $25,000 minimum required to create the endowment. Reed-Thyne is this year’s scholarship recipient in addition to her NIL partnership. Huerkamp has also set up men’s and women’s wrestling scholarship opportunities and plans to assist other CMU programs in the future.
With Reed-Thyne set to graduate, Huerkamp said ProSpace wants to continue this NIL model next year with another CMU player.
