Community Leaders Launch the Bobcat Collective, the First NIL Program Supporting Montana State Football Student-Athletes
The Bobcat Collective Magnifies Support from Montana State Fans, Alumni, and Businesses
Bozeman, MT (August 30, 2022) – Blueprint Sports, the industry leader in full-service NIL collectives, is proud to unveil The Bobcat Collective, the first Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective supporting football student-athletes at Montana State University. MSU alums and former Bobcat Football players Brandon Vancleeve and Tom White, lead the collective with a mission to provide opportunities for current and future MSU football players, maximizing their ability to benefit from their name, image and likeness in ways previously unavailable.
“A group of us former players have been talking about this and we just started thinking about what we needed to do to support these players and take the next step and we saw NIL and the Blueprint Sports team as a potential to do that,” said Vancleeve. “I think because the coaches and staff at MSU know us, they were excited and welcomed the idea. They trust that we’re going to do it right within the established credible infrastructure Blueprint provides.”
The Bobcat Collective will support approximately 80 football student-athletes this fall with additional student-athletes from other sports at MSU anticipated in the future. The collective is working on finalizing agreements with other NCAA sports available at MSU. Donors will be able to designate their donation to a specific sport and feel good knowing they’re supporting a team important to them.
Unique to the collective is the promise that every player will benefit from the funds raised. In its early fundraising efforts, the collective has seen contributions come in from a diverse group of contributors in wide-ranging amounts. “That just speaks to this community and their deep commitment to MSU and these athletes. We have such tremendous support and we’re seeing so many individuals and even families give what they can. You don’t just have to be a big business to support our team. It’s truly a grassroots effort to support this collective,” said Vancleeve.
Supporters have multiple options to engage with The Bobcat Collective. Contributions can be made through the BPS Foundation, a 501c3 organization dedicated to educate, encourage and assist student-athletes in their efforts to engage with the local community through charitable causes. Other opportunities for partnership include brand alignment with local businesses to create custom marketing campaigns, speaking engagements, autograph sessions and more. More information can be found at bobcatcollective.com.
“That’s the culture we have here, a lot of trust, believing in the mission of the collective, and a desire to take it to the next level. It’s been incredible to watch the trust happen so quickly, it’s a nice advantage to have those relationships with the people who are going to support this effort and have an impact on these athletes,” said Vancleeve.
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. BPS’ national portfolio of collectives support student-athletes in communities across the country, including Friends of Spike, around Gonzaga University, Friends of Wilbur & Wilma, around the University of Arizona, Friends of Basevols, around the University of Tennessee, Friends of UNILV, around the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Friends of the Pack, around the University of Nevada Reno, Friends of Rocky, around The University of Toledo and more. The Blueprint Sports management team possesses over 50 years of college and professional sports experience, spanning the Pac-12 Conference, IMG, Learfield, and Nevada Athletics Commission, among others. For more information visit blueprintsports.com and follow @PoweredByBPS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About The Bobcat Collective
The Bobcat Collective is a fan-driven and alumni-led Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective for Montana State University student-athletes, alumni, and fans. Community members who commit their support to the Bobcat Collective, are pledging to maximize opportunities for student-athletes to build their brand and earn compensation. In addition, community supporters gain access to exclusive events, autograph sessions, and more. The Bobcat Collective is powered by parent company Blueprint Sports. For more information visit bobcatcollective.com and follow @BobcatCollectiv on Facebook and Twitter and @thebobcatcollective on Instagram
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.
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Media Contacts:
For Bobcat Collective and Blueprint Sports – The Ferraro Group
Heidi Goitia / 928-220-1747 Heidi@theferrarogroup.com
