Name, image and likeness opportunities for University of Kentucky athletes could become much more lucrative in the near future.
The Virtus Brand, an independent player management company that’s been involved with several large NIL deals involving UK athletes, has partnered with an organization called “The Big Blue Legacy” to manage a fund to which NIL funds will be allocated “with the goal of creating a marketplace” supporting athletes in all of UK’s 29 men’s and women’s sports programs, according to a news release.
The Big Blue Legacy, according to the release, is comprised of “prominent business leaders” from Kentucky and around the country. The NIL fund, dubbed “The 15 Fund,” will have a board of directors including former UK athletes and will be led by The Virtus Brand CEO Fred Johnson.
“The 15 Fund enables the commonwealth to show how much they care about these student-athletes,” said Tom Bower, co-founder of The Virtus Brand. “It’s a dream come true for me to see the student-athlete being rewarded for all their hard work through NIL. The 15 Fund allows that to happen based upon their market value. The University of Kentucky is a gold standard in many ways; The 15 Fund in combination with Virtus helps keep everyone safe and affords the opportunity to do NIL at the highest level. We look forward to working with current and future supporters of the Big Blue Legacy.”
The 15 Fund — named after the fact that Kentucky was the 15th state admitted into the United States of America — is similar to Clark Field Collective, an NIL fund launched recently by University of Texas boosters and former Longhorns athletes. That fund was launched with an initial pledged commitment of $10 million; an initial pledge amount was not yet known for The 15 Fund.
Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson is among the current clients of The Virtus Brand, which facilitated a “substantial” NIL partnership between Robinson and Stockton Mortgage, a Frankfort-based mortgage and loan company.