Indiana University Athletics
Merchants Bank, IU Athletics Partner to Provide IU Student-Athletes with Critical Financial Literacy Training
8/7/2026 8:00:00 AM | General, Student-Athlete Services, Name, Image & Likeness
Bloomington, Ind. — In the rapidly evolving landscape of intercollegiate athletics, preparing student-athletes for life both on and off the field has never been more important. IU Athletics and Merchants Bank showed off their shared commitment to that goal through a highly-successful, five-session financial literacy program designed exclusively for IU's student-athletes.
The custom-made, student-athlete focused sessions were designed by the team at Merchants Bank. To provide a comprehensive curriculum, students attended all five sessions as each session presented different topics, building a complete economic foundation. The core curriculum covered:
To enrich the curriculum with real-world expertise, Merchants Bank also brought in trusted partners to present to students, including specialists from Valeo Financial Advisors (featuring IU Men's Basketball alumnus Johnny Jager) and the Krieg DeVault law firm. In the inaugural year for this program, members of each of IU's 24 varsity programs participated across the comprehensive series with the goal of building a secure financial foundation for their futures.
"This financial series came from a culmination of countless hours of internal planning from our team at Merchants Bank and collaboration with our program partners," said Ariana Meiser, Merchants Bank's Market President. "We're thrilled with the enthusiasm and engagement shown by attending students, and take great pride in knowing that key lessons from these trainings will go on to support them well beyond their time as collegiate athletes. We look forward to bringing a similar, evolved training series to IU Athletics next year and every year throughout the course of our sponsorship." [1]
"We are deeply grateful to Merchants Bank and Chairman Michael Petrie for their extraordinary commitment to our student-athletes," said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollege Athletics Scott Dolson. "As collegiate athletics continues to evolve, empowering our students with essential financial education and life skills is paramount. This partnership ensures that the young men and women representing Indiana University are uniquely prepared for lifelong success, both during their time on campus and long after graduation."
After the conclusion of the five-session program, IU's student-athletes emphasized the wide-ranging impact that the workshop had on them as they look toward their futures in Bloomington and after they graduate.
"I really enjoyed learning about how I can make the money I have now work FOR me rather than just having it sit around with no plan for the future," said 2025 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year Carter Smith. "The financial literacy program was an informative program that gave student athletes the tools to navigate their financial situations that aligns with their needs."
"My teammates and I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn from the people at Merchants Bank the past few weeks," added IU Women's Basketball's Lene Beaumont. "With the landscape of college athletics adapting, there comes a lot of benefits, but being able to properly manage your finances can be difficult. The financial literacy program taught me a lot about how I could better my future self by taking the proper steps now."
The success of Merchants Bank's Financial Literacy Program underscores a shared commitment to holistic student-athlete development by IU Athletics. By partnering with Merchants Bank, IU Athletics is working to ensure that its student-athletes are not only well-informed about their opportunities and responsibilities today, but when they leave IU they will do so with the financial acumen, and the tools necessary for the future.
"Thank you Merchants Bank for taking your time to teach us athletes about the importance of how we use our money! Thank you to IU Athletics for offering this opportunity for us to learn how to be smart and wise with our finances," said IU Volleyball's Kiki Granberry.
The custom-made, student-athlete focused sessions were designed by the team at Merchants Bank. To provide a comprehensive curriculum, students attended all five sessions as each session presented different topics, building a complete economic foundation. The core curriculum covered:
- Money Psychology
- Budgeting & Planning
- Financial Management
- Taxes & Investing
- Agents and Contracts
To enrich the curriculum with real-world expertise, Merchants Bank also brought in trusted partners to present to students, including specialists from Valeo Financial Advisors (featuring IU Men's Basketball alumnus Johnny Jager) and the Krieg DeVault law firm. In the inaugural year for this program, members of each of IU's 24 varsity programs participated across the comprehensive series with the goal of building a secure financial foundation for their futures.
"This financial series came from a culmination of countless hours of internal planning from our team at Merchants Bank and collaboration with our program partners," said Ariana Meiser, Merchants Bank's Market President. "We're thrilled with the enthusiasm and engagement shown by attending students, and take great pride in knowing that key lessons from these trainings will go on to support them well beyond their time as collegiate athletes. We look forward to bringing a similar, evolved training series to IU Athletics next year and every year throughout the course of our sponsorship." [1]
"We are deeply grateful to Merchants Bank and Chairman Michael Petrie for their extraordinary commitment to our student-athletes," said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollege Athletics Scott Dolson. "As collegiate athletics continues to evolve, empowering our students with essential financial education and life skills is paramount. This partnership ensures that the young men and women representing Indiana University are uniquely prepared for lifelong success, both during their time on campus and long after graduation."
After the conclusion of the five-session program, IU's student-athletes emphasized the wide-ranging impact that the workshop had on them as they look toward their futures in Bloomington and after they graduate.
"I really enjoyed learning about how I can make the money I have now work FOR me rather than just having it sit around with no plan for the future," said 2025 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year Carter Smith. "The financial literacy program was an informative program that gave student athletes the tools to navigate their financial situations that aligns with their needs."
"My teammates and I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn from the people at Merchants Bank the past few weeks," added IU Women's Basketball's Lene Beaumont. "With the landscape of college athletics adapting, there comes a lot of benefits, but being able to properly manage your finances can be difficult. The financial literacy program taught me a lot about how I could better my future self by taking the proper steps now."
The success of Merchants Bank's Financial Literacy Program underscores a shared commitment to holistic student-athlete development by IU Athletics. By partnering with Merchants Bank, IU Athletics is working to ensure that its student-athletes are not only well-informed about their opportunities and responsibilities today, but when they leave IU they will do so with the financial acumen, and the tools necessary for the future.
"Thank you Merchants Bank for taking your time to teach us athletes about the importance of how we use our money! Thank you to IU Athletics for offering this opportunity for us to learn how to be smart and wise with our finances," said IU Volleyball's Kiki Granberry.
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