The Florida State spring weekend will kick off on Friday, April 19, with a gathering of Florida State coaches and players – past and present -- and fans to celebrate the success of Florida State’s men’s and women’s teams, talk about spring football progress, and preview Saturday’s Seminole Showcase.

Proceeds from the evening will benefit The Battle’s End, which is the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) Collective that works with FSU’s Football student-athletes.

The evening will be an opportunity for fans to meet coaches, players and staff and bid on a broad array of online silent auction items including exclusive team gear, autographed memorabilia, tickets and/or parking to games, as well as valuable items donated by the community.

Light hors d’oeuvres will be served with a cash bar for fans to enjoy while socializing.

The event will also feature an appearance and comments from FSU head coach Mike Norvell.

FSU student-athletes can be compensated for their Name, Image, Likeness

Now that student-athletes can be compensated, universities across the country look to private and well-funded collectives to enable NIL opportunities for student athletes in all sports. The Battle’s End was founded to build a sustainable, best-in-class NIL operation for Florida State’s student-athletes.

“The importance of success in the NIL space is obvious, so it’s critical for all of us to be intentional, and aspirational in our efforts,” said FSU Vice President and athletics director Michael Alford.

“This is a time of tremendous opportunities for fans to invest in our student-athletes’ personal success and to engage directly with them, in addition to providing unparalleled impact on our performance in all facets of competition.”

Norvell explains the importance of NIL quite simply. “If you want to support Florida State’s student-athletes, join Battle’s End,” Norvell said.

The event is being organized by Jerry Kutz, a former Sr. Vice President of Seminole Boosters.

“In my previous life as Senior Vice President of Seminole Boosters, I saw how important the FSU fan base was as they chose to donate the money necessary to build facilities, hire and retain coaches, and to balance the athletics budget on an annual basis,” Kutz said. “While contributions to Seminole Boosters will continue to be a priority, fan funding of the NIL Collective, Battle’s End, is also critical if they are to have the resources necessary to fund NIL appropriately.”

"I can speak for everyone associated with The Battle's End when I say we are very proud of the support we have given Coach Norvell and his staff as they continue to take the program back to national prominence,” said Ingram Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Battle’s End.

“Last year’s historic 13-0 campaign reminded the college football world that FSU is an elite program and intends to be a force for many years to come. Our support for FSU athletes is made possible by our members and supporters. The success of events like this one, provide unique value to the TBE community while fueling our ability to provide championship-caliber support."

Fans can support this event by buying tickets at MoonEvents.com, sponsoring a table, donating silent auction items, or becoming a Battle’s End member at Battlesend.com.

For information on sponsorship or donating a silent auction item, contact Jerry Kutz at 850.508.8690 or jerrykutz939913@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Friday night's spring event to benefit FSU athletes, features Mike Norvell