Nevada student-athletes now have NIL representation via Blueprint Sports

Nevada student-athletes now have NIL representation via Blueprint Sports

Today, key community supporters of the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) student-athletes unveiled "Friends of The Pack," the first significant name, image, and likeness (NIL) collective supporting men and women's sports at Nevada, starting with men's basketball. The initiative is made possible by many long-time Wolf Pack supporters, including Rick Reviglio, co-owner, president, and general manager of Western Nevada Supply, and Greg Ferraro, president and founder of The Ferraro Group, a leading public affairs and public relations firm in Nevada.

"We're proud of our student-athletes in Reno who compete at the highest athletic levels, strive for success in the classroom, and aim to make a difference in our community," said Matt White, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Basin Street Properties and Chairman of the Advisory Board for Friends of The Pack. "Our focus is on helping these student-athletes achieve their dreams and become future leaders.”

Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame member and former Harlem Globetrotter Eathan O'Bryant knows first-hand the importance of supporting student-athletes at the University of Nevada. He added, "I’m honored help support the community and University of Nevada athletes by working with this collective. These opportunities are overdue and well-deserved by the men and women who play sports at Nevada. I am looking forward to helping the community get in touch with them and continue strengthening the relationship between the school and the city.”

Powering "Friends of The Pack" is NIL technology and marketing agency Blueprint Sports, co-founded by Cisco Aguilar. “So many student-athletes make their communities better and are often the embodiment of civic engagement. It’s an honor to support these young people as they embark on this exciting phase of life,” Aguilar said.

On the new Friends of The Pack website, supporters have multiple options for ways to engage with the student-athletes. Friends of The Pack allows for streamlined communications between Reno businesses, brands, and University of Nevada student-athletes for marketing opportunities, including online influencer campaigns, local appearances, youth sports coaching, charity event attendance, and more. An additional option includes one-time or recurring crowdfunding and monthly "behind the red rope" memberships for exclusive access to various student-athletes. Supporters can also rest assured their engagements will occur in an NCAA-compliant manner with all Nevada student-athletes.

“My teammates and I feel blessed to be given the opportunity to learn about how to manage our finances and build a future,” said Kenan Blackshear, a senior member of the Wolf Pack Men’s Basketball Team. “We are very grateful to Friends of The Pack for making that happen.”

About Blueprint Sports

Founded in Las Vegas in 2020 and backed by Andre Agassi, eight-time Grand Slam tennis champion, Blueprint Sports (BPS) powers the industry's leading name, image, and likeness (NIL) collectives for alumni, supporters, and businesses, connecting them with student-athletes at their favorite university. Friends of The Pack is the latest collective powered by Blueprint Sports to launch in 2022. Other collectives include Friends of Spike, around Gonzaga University, Friends of Wilbur & Wilma, around the University of Arizona, Friends of Smokey, around the University of Tennessee, Friends of Rocky, around the University of Toledo, and Friends of UNILV, around UNLV. The Blueprint Sports management team possesses over 50 years of college and professional sports experience, spanning the Pac-12 Conference, IMG, Learfield, Nevada Athletics Commission, and more. For more information on Blueprint Sports and to see samples of their work, visit www.blueprintsports.com.

About Name, Image, Likeness (NIL)

On June 30, 2021, the Division 1 Board of Directors approved an interim name, image, and likeness policy. This new policy allows all NCAA D1, D2, and D3 student-athletes to be compensated for their NIL as of July 1, 2021. Student-athletes can now engage in paid community appearances, autograph sessions, youth coaching engagements, and sports marketing campaigns.

FULL ARTICLE

 

Back to blog