MIAMI — FIU Athletics and PlayerU, an AI-powered pickleball training and player-development platform, have announced a new partnership that will place the Miami-based sports technology company's branding on some of the Panthers' most visible competition assets throughout the 2026-27 athletic year.
As part of the partnership, the PlayerU logo will be featured via decals on FIU football helmets throughout the 2026 regular season, providing the brand with prominent visibility. PlayerU will also serve as a jersey patch partner of FIU tennis and golf, with the company's logo featured on competition uniforms throughout their respective seasons.
"PlayerU represents the type of innovative, growth-minded organization we want associated with FIU Athletics," said FIU Director of Athletics
Scott Carr. "The visibility created through our football helmets and tennis and golf uniforms provides PlayerU an avenue to display its brand to like-minded audiences and also demographics which previously may not have been aware of PlayerU. We are proud to support a Miami-based company that is using technology and AI to make sports more approachable and help players improve."
The partnership connects two Miami-based organizations with a shared focus on innovation, competition and player development, while providing PlayerU with a prominent presence across FIU Athletics assets.
"FIU is an institution that reflects the energy, ambition and diversity of Miami, making this a natural partnership for PlayerU," said Rene Prats, co-founder of PlayerU. "Seeing the PlayerU brand represented on FIU football helmets and alongside the student-athletes from tennis and golf is an incredible opportunity. We look forward to introducing more people to PlayerU while supporting the Panthers and the continued growth of FIU Athletics."
PlayerU is an AI-powered pickleball training and player-development platform designed to help players learn the game, develop their skills and compete with greater confidence. The platform combines instructional content, player assessments, performance tools and AI-powered assistance to provide players with a structured path from learning the fundamentals of pickleball to preparing for lessons, clinics, open play and competitive environments. For more information on PlayerU, visit
playeru.ai.
About FIU Athletics
Pro Bowl wide receiver T.Y. Hilton caught touchdowns here. Olympic gold medalist Tayna Lawrence sprinted here. Major League All Star and World Series champion Mike Lowell swung for the fences here. Here, under the South Florida sun, is where more than 400 student-athletes compete in 17 Division-I sports as proud members of Conference USA and affiliate members of the American Conference in men's soccer and swimming and diving. FIU Athletics has produced nearly 130 All-Americans, 50 NCAA Tournament appearances and record-setting academic performances at a Top 50 preeminent public research university with more than 55,000 students.
About PlayerU
PlayerU is an AI-powered pickleball training and player-development platform designed to help players learn, improve and compete with confidence. The platform combines structured instruction, skill analysis, player-development resources and AI-powered rules assistance to provide a clear path from curious beginner to court-ready player.
About Van Wagner
Van Wagner is a leading sports advertising and entertainment agency with expertise in live events, sponsorship sales, multimedia rights and in-venue content production. Van Wagner has served as FIU Athletics' multimedia rights partner since 2016.
