Overview
- About two dozen UMaine athletes are already receiving direct payments through the new Student-Athlete Experience Fund.
- Fundraising has reached the hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to athletic director Jude Killy.
- Officials say all athlete pay will come from private and philanthropic donations, not tuition or state funds.
- Initial deals carry a baseline of about $1,000 across four or five sports.
- The initiative responds to new rules that permit direct school-to-athlete pay and pairs with the Bear Down Collective, Van Wagner sponsorships, and the Icon Source marketplace.