Advent Electric purchases Tennessee spring game tickets for The Volunteer Club, Emerald Youth Foundation

On3 imageby:Pete Nakos03/31/23

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Tennessee has become one of the epicenters of NIL in the last 21 months.

The NIL collective The Volunteer Club, which is run by the sports marketing agency Spyre Sports, has worked with more than 200 Tennessee athletes across 11 programs, procuring $13.5 million in NIL deals since July 2021.

Part of the success has been rooted in innovative, worthwhile campaigns. Now the collective has provided another key opportunity for its members. With Tennessee’s athletic department charing $5 for the spring game at Neyland Stadium this year, Advent Electric has stepped up to buy 1,000 tickets for the Volunteer Club to share with its members and the Emerald Youth Foundation, which is a charitable sponsor of the NIL collective.

“I think it’s very important for the local business community and the Tennessee fanbase to back the Vol Club and NIL initiatives because it will allow fans to see an improved product on the field and court while rewarding the hard-working athletes,” Advent’s co-owner Kevin Ramsey told On3. “With the large, passionate fanbase that Tennessee has there is no reason why we can’t have the best NIL program in the country if everyone buys in.”

Advent has been an active company in the Knoxville NIL market. The company has a preexisting deal with Tennessee basketball player Zakai Zeigler. Emerald Youth is also based in Knoxville, focused on providing health and wellness initiatives for kids with a emphasis on the Christian mission.

The ticket initiative also speaks volumes about the state of Tennessee football. In Year 2 under Josh Heupel, the Vols finished 11-2 with an Orange Bowl win. They beat Alabama for the first time in 15 years, too.

Tennessee returns Joe Milton, who took over toward the end of the season when Hendon Hooker went down with a ACL injury against South Carolina. The Orange Bowl MVP is competing with true freshman and former five-star recruit Nico Iamaleava for the starting quarterback job.

“Well it says everything,” Spyre’s vice president of fundraising Brandon Spurlock said. “Our fans have been hungry for winning football for so long. They’ve been patient but at times they’ve made noise and we love that, too. It’s been a fight to get here and our fans have never stopped fighting. We won’t either, and we’re proud to share this opportunity with them as a ‘thank you’ for some of those lean years we experienced together.

Importance of adding value to Volunteer Club membership

Simply put, NIL has turned into an arms race. Collectives are trying to find the best model for sustainability, all while tapping into schools’ donor bases to raise funds.

Part of the competition has developed into creating value to fans and boosters who donate to collectives. With nearly 2,400 subscribers, the Volunteer Club’s base is growing.

Having Advent Electric purchase also clears up any confusion if Tennessee purchased the tickets for Volunteer Club members. In the NCAA guidance released in October, college athletics’ governing body outlined athletic departments were prohibited from providing, “assets to a donor as an incentive for providing funds to the NIL entity.”

Spyre, which was co-founded by Tennessee alums James Clawson and Hunter Baddour, could follow a similar ticket structure moving forward with its collectives.

“We will explore all options and are always looking to partner in creative ways to bring value to our fans and enchanted NIL opportunities to our athletes,” Spurlock said. “We can’t say enough about Emerald Youth and the work they do in our community to support over 3,000 youth and their families. This partnership between us, Advent Electric, and Emerald is a win-win-win, and something we’ll be looking to replicate.”