UT’s NIL program - The Vol Club

[ThanksMurphy]

I wanted to take a moment to introduce forum members to The Vol Club. This is for educational purposes only.

The Vol Club exists to do two main things:

1. Create sustainable NIL opportunities for our student athletes. We want to ensure Tennessee can attract and retain the top talent in the country.
2. For fans it’s all about impact and the experiences. There has never been a better way to have an impact on the outcome of the games than by supporting the players through NIL. On the experience side…we are a growing community of passionate and invested fans, and membership in the Vol Club affords you access to ongoing benefits and exclusive experiences as part of our community.
We have over 4000 +members in all 50 states. The 3 best ways for fans to support us:

1. Join The Vol Club as an individual
2. Join The Vol Club as a small business or corporate sponsor
3. Sponsor an Event

We have monthly memberships starting at $25 a month. 90% of the membership dollars generated goes to the players. This is your best and most direct opportunity to support student athletes at the University of Tennessee and to help our athletic programs attract the highest quality players in the world.
As a small business or corporate sponsor you can attach your brand to our many growing social media and digital platforms to drive results and be associated with the success and influence of TN athletes and UT athletics.

 

[jvols1999]

Bump

 

[Hulavol]

Thanks for posting this again!

 

[ThanksMurphy]

Updated some details.

 

[bpalmer28]

Thanks

 

[YankeeVol]

Everybody always wanting more money...you'd think it's the gov't.

 

[TNHopeful505]

Is this the same as Spyre?

 

[TrumpedUpVol]

Is this the same as Spyre?

It’s essentially the NIL arm of Spyre.

 

[loservol]

Everybody always wanting more money...you'd think it's the gov't.

People and fans arent struggling enough already without having to make kids who might never see playing time at UT richer. This model is not sustainable long term. I mean this for all schools and not just UT. Advertisers will eventually have to step in and foot the bill if they want to keep on paying every college player millions of dollars every season. Overtime the cost of this will be astronomical if someone wanted to sit down with pen and paper or excel spreadsheet.

 

[volsack]

People and fans arent struggling enough already without having to make kids who might never see playing time at UT richer. This model is not sustainable long term. I mean this for all schools and not just UT. Advertisers will eventually have to step in and foot the bill if they want to keep on paying every college player millions of dollars every season. Overtime the cost of this will be astronomical if someone wanted to sit down with pen and paper or excel spreadsheet.

I 1,000% agree. Schools already ask so much from fans and now they are asking us to pay the athletes too? This is definitely not sustainable because eventually the salary demands will outstrip all but corporate supplies of funds and instead of spreading wealth around it is going to consolidate it until it eventually disappears, not to mention kids in other sports will fail to make money because of the concentration to the football players. Maybe we need a salary cap, but no way I trust any school to be honest about that.....

 

[loservol]

I 1,000% agree. Schools already ask so much from fans and now they are asking us to pay the athletes too? This is definitely not sustainable because eventually the salary demands will outstrip all but corporate supplies of funds and instead of spreading wealth around it is going to consolidate it until it eventually disappears, not to mention kids in other sports will fail to make money because of the concentration to the football players. Maybe we need a salary cap, but no way I trust any school to be honest about that.....

Even with NIL money, the really good players (minus a few exceptions) are still sticking with the big schools and the money is having to be used to just hold the team together for another season.

 

[ThanksMurphy]

Is this the same as Spyre?

Yes. The Volunteer Club is a private LLC operated by Spyre and the official NIL Collective of the Vols.

 

[ThanksMurphy]

Even with NIL money, the really good players (minus a few exceptions) are still sticking with the big schools and the money is having to be used to just hold the team together for another season.

Regardless of these facts, it’s now a critical part of building a roster. Not everyone will want to participate nor be able to.. However, ignoring it will only slow our ability to move our rosters to the top. Basketball and Baseball are already seeing the benefits. Smaller rosters are easier to build quickly. Football will take a bit longer and require more resources. Sustainability is achievable IMO. TVC has a very diverse portfolio of fund sources already ranging from fans, boosters, businesses, corporations and co-marketing. We know fan individual memberships will never 100% fund NIL needs, but they can eventually take on a large % of the budget. Today fans directly supply about 5% of the budget. 25% is achievable IMO. Getting to 25% insures long term sustainability. Not every collective is this resourceful and that is the reason many fail. We have never failed, never missed a payment and are consistently competitive with other programs. The University can’t fund a collective. Regardless of how much revenue the University generates. It is 100% on the fans (individuals and businesses owners), boosters and TVC’s ability to find marketing partnerships.

 

[dalton_vol]

People and fans arent struggling enough already without having to make kids who might never see playing time at UT richer. This model is not sustainable long term. I mean this for all schools and not just UT. Advertisers will eventually have to step in and foot the bill if they want to keep on paying every college player millions of dollars every season. Overtime the cost of this will be astronomical if someone wanted to sit down with pen and paper or excel spreadsheet.

agreed. i can't see how long this will last. the demand from these players will continue to go up.

 

[loservol]

If they would just let the top high school talent go straight to the NFL in a special draft, that would almost level the playing field overnight, instead of placing this burden on the schools and taxpayers.

 

[ThanksMurphy]

agreed. i can't see how long this will last. the demand from these players will continue to go up.

These things eventually work themselves out though. Money is not infinite nor are donors willing to give more than they can. I suspect that we will eventually see players have to settle for what the market can generate. It’s actually already starting to happen which is why the portal is so active this year. However, once we see a bunch of good players enter the portal and then end up worse off because of it, word will spread and players will be more cautious in subsequent years. A contract in hand is better than risking it all.

 

[dalton_vol]

These things eventually work themselves out though. Money is not infinite nor are donors willing to give more than they can. I suspect that we will eventually see players have to settle for what the market can generate. It’s actually already starting to happen which is why the portal is so active this year. However, once we see a bunch of good players enter the portal and then end up worse off because of it, word will spread and players will be more cautious in subsequent years. A contract in hand is better than risking it all.

i would hope so, but i dont underestimate the stupidity of the kids.

 

[TheDeeble]

If they would just let the top high school talent go straight to the NFL in a special draft, that would almost level the playing field overnight, instead of placing this burden on the schools and taxpayers.

How does that benefit the NFL? If a school doesn't want the burden, there's nobody forcing them to carry it.

 

[loservol]

How does that benefit the NFL? If a school doesn't want the burden, there's nobody forcing them to carry it.

First, it would set the market value at what these players are really worth, because of the NFL salary cap. A few of the smarter ones will still want a degree and decide to wait before going pro.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

If they would just let the top high school talent go straight to the NFL in a special draft, that would almost level the playing field overnight, instead of placing this burden on the schools and taxpayers.

Why would the NFL pay undeveloped players?

They only have about 55 roster spots and somewhere around 20 practice squad spots, I think.

Very, very few college players with years of good D1 experience make the NFL and it would be extraordinary for a HS kid to earn one of the few NFL spots.

 

[AlwaysOrangeNeverBlue]

These things eventually work themselves out though. Money is not infinite nor are donors willing to give more than they can. I suspect that we will eventually see players have to settle for what the market can generate. It’s actually already starting to happen which is why the portal is so active this year. However, once we see a bunch of good players enter the portal and then end up worse off because of it, word will spread and players will be more cautious in subsequent years. A contract in hand is better than risking it all.

Any dollar spent should be viewed as an investment. I agree with many posters here and elsewhere in their concerns about: (1) the increasing nature of demands from players and their families. The Slippery Slope, as some call it; (2) the apparent fallacy of the valuation metrics being publicly broadcast (i.e. On3); although not sure how much of that the Volunteer Club relies on as I hear, it's not too much of a factor as TVC apparently does its own valuations. I could be wrong; and (3) there are lots of struggling fans that this might upset, when they're already spending so much more on tickets, $14 Miller Lites, and all than ever before, in an economy with an increasing individual debt load.

However, and again, every dollar spent should be viewed as an investment. I was hesitant for a long time and, occasionally, downright salty about the direction college football is headed. Nonetheless, I recently pulled the trigger and joined TVC within the past couple of weeks for the following reasons:

(1) I choose to invest in what I love. Outside of people both living and no longer, UT Football is something I love more than most. While I may not be a high-level current donor, I do plan to increase my contribution over time.
(2) I want to see UT succeed;
(3) This, whether I like it or not (mainly not), is the way College Football is both operated and won now. Either I get with the times or the times get me.
(4) Other schools are expanding their war chest at the same time and, while, many of the dollars percentage-wise are likely currently from big donors; there's no greater power than that of the Orange-clad masses collectively putting together their two cents to eventually take over UGA and Bama.
(5) While it may currently be the most free market of any market in America right now, that is opportunity. It's the Gold Rush in California. We are at a precipice in football where the economic concept of Economies of Scale is kicking in like never before. Those with money and increasing pools of it, will continue to win and continue to separate from those without and with decreasing pools, who will decline in competitiveness. Any organization willing to pay its talent at a better rate than its competitors will, over time, acquire greater in quality and quantity of talent.

Thanks for all you do, including weathering the storm and wading through the unchartered waters of the NIL world.

Go Big Orange!

 

[TheDeeble]

First, it would set the market value at what these players are really worth, because of the NFL salary cap. A few of the smarter ones will still want a degree and decide to wait before going pro.

They aren't ready to play NFL. Different level of football physically and mentally than college. NFL doesn't want them and doesn't have to take them. They are however worth lots of money to college football. The major conferences are very happy to shoulder the "burden" because they're making lots of money to do so. And the only burden portion of it is to keep the fan base happy. Sure Tennessee could say we're offering scholarships only and not taking part in providing NIL opportunities to attract the best talent.

But how the would fans of Tennessee react to know they're basically resigned to being a bottom tier team then?

 

[loservol]

Why would the NFL pay undeveloped players?

They only have about 55 roster spots and somewhere around 20 practice squad spots, I think.

Very, very few college players with years of good D1 experience make the NFL and it would be extraordinary for a HS kid to earn one of the few NFL spots.

They could develop them in a minor league farm system until they are ready to join the big boys.

 

[DaddyChad]

People and fans arent struggling enough already without having to make kids who might never see playing time at UT richer. This model is not sustainable long term. I mean this for all schools and not just UT. Advertisers will eventually have to step in and foot the bill if they want to keep on paying every college player millions of dollars every season. Overtime the cost of this will be astronomical if someone wanted to sit down with pen and paper or excel spreadsheet.

I’m sorry but if you’re “struggling” that much why the hell would you be worried about donating to an NIL club? This is for someone who has the means to donate and help out the program not for those struggling. Most of the NIL budget is still provided by a few donors. Most programs already had kids getting paid that were on the roster, NIL just made it legal.

 

[loservol]

I’m sorry but if you’re “struggling” that much why the hell would you be worried about donating to an NIL club? This is for someone who has the means to donate and help out the program not for those struggling. Most of the NIL budget is still provided by a few donors. Most programs already had kids getting paid that were on the roster, NIL just made it legal.

Because it is already spiraling out of control this year. The Vols are having to pay thier own players to just hold the team together for next season.