‘Bucs for Good’ establishes NIL opportunities for ETSU athletes
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – The college sports landscape is continuing to evolve as name, image and likeness (NIL) takes its shape in the sports world.
NIL collectives are fans, alumni and community stakeholders who group together to find financial opportunities for student-athletes. These groups are gaining traction across the country.
The ‘Bucs for Good’ collective is brand new and supports East Tennessee State University (ETSU) athletics. Per National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules, collectives must be independent from the associated university. They also can not be involved in the recruitment of student-athletes.
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However, collectives can assist athletes once they’ve enrolled in school. Bucs for Good President Pete Peterson said that it’s important to keep up with the rapidly evolving college sports landscape.
He said that it’s vital for collectives to be competitive.
“For us to continue to be competitive and to continue to be a superior force in the Southern Conference, we’re going to have to be competitive in the collective market,” Peterson said.
Collectives work very closely with players to help build their brands once they begin their time at school. Peterson said that the ultimate goal is to help support these athletes well past their athletic careers.
Much of that support is getting athletes connected with local businesses and other stakeholders to help build their brand.
“We help them market, advertise and utilize their NIL,” Peterson said. “To help them build relationships with local businesses.”
Johnson City Honda owner Joe Trujillo is a big ETSU Bucs fan, and he’s also involved with the collective.
He said that it’s important for the community to come together to keep ETSU competitive.
“This is what it’s going to take for us to be competitive and win,” Trujillo said.
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NIL and the impact that it’s going to have on college sports is still very much unknown. However, it could take shape right here in the Volunteer State.
The State of Tennessee is suing the NCAA following an NIL investigation into the University of Tennessee and its handling of NIL.
This is just one example of legal cases surrounding NIL and the college transfer portal. Peterson said that he’ll be monitoring these cases and any potential impact that it may have on Bucs for Good.
“There are a number of different things moving through the court systems that I think all universities and collectives really need to pay a lot of attention to,” Peterson said. “We’ll be monitoring that.”
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