Canopy Talent and Society Management Partner on College Athlete Deals

Athlete management agency Canopy Talent and modeling firm The Society Management have formed a partnership to connect fashion, beauty and luxury brands with college athletes, Entrepreneur reported on October 15, 2026.

Under the arrangement, Canopy will serve as The Society Management's exclusive on-campus partner, supplying access and compliance tools for working inside college athletics. Canopy handles name, image and likeness deal submissions and maintains relationships with schools that can speed approvals, according to the report.

Canopy founder Jack Liechtung, who worked at WME before law school, said his agency focuses on athletes in sports that draw less commercial attention, including gymnastics, swimming, softball and volleyball. He said engagement rates for athlete creators on Canopy's roster run roughly six times higher than those of standard influencers, and that the agency avoids one-off brand deals in favor of longer-term work with athletes who already have an audience.

Chris Gay, president of The Society Management, whose roster includes Kendall Jenner and Adriana Lima, said college athletes have followings that do not depend on championships or revenue sports. Gay previously represented Angel Reese while she was at LSU. He said athletes and models are "extraordinarily similar" in building fan bases independent of their team or agency.

This story was first reported by www.entrepreneur.com.