US Olympic committee strikes sponsorship deal to help athletes get degrees after they retire

NEW YORK (AP) — American Olympic athletes have a new place to turn to lock down college degrees and other skills for life after sports thanks to a partnership U.S. Olympic leaders announced Tuesday with the Denver-based education company Guild.

The deal between Guild, organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is designed to help the Olympic organizations fulfill commitments to help athletes begin the next chapters of their lives after retirement.

Guild says it has more than 250 offerings on its online platform for U.S. athletes, including opportunities for undergraduate and graduate programs, certification programs and career counseling.

“You’d be hard-pressed to think that someone’s going to go in there and not find something that works for them,” said Carrie White, the USOPC’s vice president of athlete development and engagement.