Hawk Fanatic podcast: Iowa Swarm CEO Brad Heinrichs updates fundraising efforts
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Brad Heinrichs, CEO of the Iowa Swarm Collective, was the guest on Monday’s Hawk Fanatic radio show and podcast.
The former Iowa golfer, who now owns an actuary business in Florida, updated the progress being made in raising money for Iowa’s NIL collective, and he shared some ideas that he has to help raise additional funds.
Heinrichs said he would like to stage a basketball game this summer in which members of the Iowa men’s and women’s basketball teams would divide up their rosters and play a game, perhaps at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
There would also be a skills competition involving both the men’s and women’s players.
Heinrichs said he also wants concession stands to be open as a way to raise additional money.
He already has spoken with Iowa men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery about playing the game, and Heinrichs said that McCaffery gave his full support.
Heinrichs will meet with Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder on Thursday to get her thoughts about playing the game, and about NIL in general.
The Iowa women’s basketball team currently has no scholarships available for next season, but Heinrichs said NIL money could be used to pay for a player that wants to transfer to Iowa.
There is speculation that 6-foot-7 Stanford center Lauren Betts, who is in the transfer portal, is interested in transferring to Iowa where she would be reunited with former Colorado high school teammate Addison O’Grady, who is a sophomore center for the Hawkeyes.
Heinrichs said NIL money could be used to help Betts pay for her tuition and room and board.
There is a lot of hype surrounding the Iowa women’s basketball team, which just finished the greatest season in program history.
Iowa advanced to the NCAA championship game for the first time in program history, and was led by junior guard Caitlin Clark, who was voted the 2022-23 consensus National Player of the Year.
Iowa lost to LSU, 102-85, in the title game that drew a record 9.9 million viewers.
Heinrichs said he has been contacted by some donors that are interested in making donations to the women’s basketball program exclusively.