How Tennessee athletes and a Knoxville collective are cleaning up big with NIL deals
More than 200 University of Tennessee at Knoxville student-athletes across 11 sports have signed deals with Spyre Sports Group, a Knoxville name, image and likeness collective that's leading the industry nationally.
Spyre was ranked the most ambitious NIL collective in the country by college sports news outlet On3, beating out collectives focused on SEC rivals Texas A&M, Arkansas and Ole Miss.
Spyre's reportedly $8 million deal with freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava was a big factor in that ranking, which also took into account the number of athletes signed.
The Knoxville group has inked deals with eight of Tennessee's 10 most valuable NIL players, as ranked by On3.
Knoxville may be one of the larger cities home to an SEC school, but Hunter Baddour, president of marketing agency Spyre Sports Group and Tennessee NIL collective The Volunteer Club, said the metro size doesn't really matter when it comes to striking NIL deals.
It's about the rabid fans and their loyalty to their alma mater. And VFLs can be found all around the country.
"When you combine enthusiastic and dedicated megadonors to a fan base wanting to get behind a winner, just the sheer masses, that's a really dangerous combination to our competitors," Baddour said.
Spyre recently announced Volunteer Club Vodka, with 25% of the proceeds going back to Spyre to spend on student-athletes. It's a fun venture, even if it's essentially the same as Alabama's signature vodka.
Spyre also operates Volunteer Legacy, a nonprofit that pairs student athletes with Tennessee nonprofits.
Other Vols NIL collectives include the Lady Vol Boost Her Club and Friends of Smokey, which is coming soon, according to its website.
Tennessee athlete NIL deals by the numbers
On3 ranks the student-athletes with the most NIL potential across the country and by school.
It's no surprise football players dominate the top 100 NIL athletes at the University of Tennessee, according to the Sept. 5 On3 NIL Valuation.
The valuation is a proprietary algorithm that calculates a player's performance, influence and exposure relative to the overall NIL market. It does not track the value of NIL deals athletes have signed.
Nico Iamaleava, QB - $1.1 million valuation
Deals: Leaf Trading Cards, Spyre, Force Factor
Jaylen Wright, RB - $649,000 valuation
Deals: Spyre, The Volunteer Club
Joe Milton, QB - $637,000 valuation
Deals: Engage, Spyre, Beats by Dre, Hometown Realty
Tyler Baron, EDGE - $375,000 valuation
Deals: Engage, Metro Straw
John Campbell, OT - $288,000 valuation
Deals: The Volunteer Club
James Pearce, EDGE - $225,000 valuation
Deals: Spyre
Daevin Hobbs, DL - $208,000 valuation
Deals: Spyre
Dont’e Thornton, WR - $169,000 valuation
Deals: Spyre, The Volunteer Club
Bru McCoy, WR - $155,000 valuation
Deals: Huddle for Hearts, Moonshine Mountain Cookie Company, Perfect Hydration Water
Ethan Davis, TE - $148,000 valuation
Deals: The Volunteer Club
Iamaleava is far and away the UT leader as the No. 16 highest-valued athlete nationally, according to On3.
Point guard Santiago Vescovi is the first basketball and nonfootball player on the UT list, ranking 72nd with a valuation of $99,000. Lady Vols small forward Rickea Jackson ranked 73rd with a valuation of $81,000.
Marcus Hilliard, UT senior associate athletics director, said UT gives student-athletes resources to build and maintain their personal brand through the Haslam College of Business and university programs exploring entrepreneurship and advertising.
"It's just another way that we're giving back to them, but also preparing them for the future," Hilliard said. "When their playing careers end, if they did what they're supposed to do, they took care of themselves from a brand standpoint, and they were able to engage in deals, hopefully they can turn into an entrepreneur-type or set (themselves) up beyond a college degree."
Why Tennessee athletes are scoring NIL deals
While Tennessee athletes' NIL marketability has been robust from the get go, Baddour said the Vols' athletic success last year (especially on the gridiron) has given athletes a huge boost.
UT smashed its enrollment record this year and saw a huge spike in applications after the Vols beat No. 3 Alabama last year.
That popularity is not just translating into money for the athletic department and student-athletes. It's leading businesses with local ties to sign NIL deals: Tyreke Key with Casey's, Bru McCoy with Moonshine Mountain Cookie Company and Zakai Zeigler with The Bed Store, to name a few.
"From a business standpoint, a lot of local businesses have been interacting with our student athletes and securing deals," Hilliard said. "So it's good for both the population and the city at large."
NIL deals can make a huge difference in scoring high-level recruits, which means more talent on the field and (ideally) winning more games. Nobody wants to travel to see a losing team, so winning is good for Knoxville tourism, too.
"This is more than just winning a game and having bragging rights from your buddy that went to Alabama," Baddour said. "You've got bar owners, restaurant owners, hotel owners that are setting sales records. People are coming in a day early, they're staying a day late, they feel good, they're out and spending money."
This story has been updated to reflect that Spyre manages Volunteer Legacy in addition to The Volunteer Club.
Silas Sloan is the growth and development reporter. Email silas.sloan@knoxnews.com. Twitter @silasloan. Instagram @knox.growth.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee athletes score big NIL deals with Spyre Sports Collective
