In Brief:
- Memphis Athletics launched GoTigersGo Rewards, a fan loyalty program built by Uptop and running on Avalanche, announced Sept. 10.
- Fans earn rewards for engaging with Tigers teams; sponsors get clearer data on fan engagement and activity.
- Memphis is the fourth college athletic department to sign with Uptop after LSU, Penn State and Baylor, whose program was announced a day earlier.
Memphis Athletics launched GoTigersGo Rewards, a fan loyalty program built by Uptop and settled on Avalanche, the department said Sept. 10 in a release titled “Memphis Athletics and Uptop Launch GoTigersGo Rewards Program to Recognize Tiger Loyalty.”
The program gives Tigers fans more ways to earn rewards for engaging with their teams, the department said. For sponsors, it opens new ways to reach those fans with clearer insight into engagement and activity.
BREAKING: The University of Memphis is bringing fan rewards to Avalanche with Uptop
Memphis Athletics is launching GoTigersGo Rewards, a new program from Uptop that gives Tigers fans more ways to earn rewards for engaging with their teams.
For sponsors, it unlocks new ways to@AvalancheView on X ↗
Avalanche announced the deal on X, framing it as commerce entering the fan experience and pulling engagement, sponsorship and payments closer together.
Memphis is the second college program Avalanche has announced in two days. Baylor Athletics unveiled its own Uptop platform Sept. 9, branded Baylor Bears Perks, with pre-registration at BaylorBearsPerks.com.
How the platform works
Uptop runs a white-label rewards system. Fans link an existing debit or credit card once, or scan receipts, and spending at participating partner locations automatically earns points toward team rewards. Points redeem for tickets, merchandise and access.
The design is open-loop, meaning a team’s sponsors participate directly in the same rewards pool rather than running separate promotions. Point issuance, badge minting and partner settlement all run on Avalanche, which Uptop has said keeps the chain invisible to the fan.
Fans also collect digital badges representing status tiers, building a profile Uptop describes as proof of fandom.
Uptop has planned a permissioned Layer 1, The Uptop Network, on Avalanche to manage loyalty point ledgers and allow greater interoperability between programs.
Memphis hasn’t published enrollment steps, point-earning actions or redemption tiers. Its sponsor roster for the program also hasn’t been disclosed.
The college run
LSU was the first college department to sign, launching Geaux Rewards on Aug. 14, 2025. That program spans football, basketball, baseball, gymnastics and other sports, and lets fans earn on everyday purchases like gas or groceries.
Penn State followed on Aug. 20, 2026 with Penn State Rewards, brokered by Penn State Sports Enterprises, the Playfly-powered multimedia rights holder. It’s available at pennstaterewards.com and through the athletics mobile app.
Memphis has run loyalty programs before, without a chain underneath them. The department launched the 901 Club for football season ticket holders in 2015 and the Loyal Tiger of the Game program with First Horizon in 2022.
Rain ownership
Uptop is a Rain company. Rain, an enterprise infrastructure platform for stablecoin payments, acquired it in November 2025 following a $58 million Series B, and Uptop has continued to operate as an independent brand while expanding beyond sports into retail, travel and dining.
John Timoney Gomez founded the company and has kept it deliberately low-profile, telling Avalanche that Uptop is “completely behind the scenes.” Ross Basri is a co-founder.
The pro side came first. Cavs Rewards launched with the Cleveland Cavaliers in October 2024, and the Detroit Pistons became the second NBA franchise on the system.
Since the Cleveland launch, sponsors have seen a 21% lift in spend from enrolled members and a 51% increase in Team Shop sales.
