Alabama RB Trey Sanders announces rollout of NIL fan-driven Big A Legends
Alabama running back Trey Sanders previously joined forces with The Players’ Lounge in March as part of a NIL deal.
Now he’s officially becoming a member of the Alabama-specific Big A Legends, which is a part of The Players’ Lounge network. The running back inked an NFT deal earlier this spring with the company. And in this new role, he will be one of the featured members of this fan-driven NIL club.
To join the community, however, Alabama fans have to purchase an NFT. A non-fungible token is a digital asset that represents real-world objects like art, music, in-game items and videos. They are bought and sold online, frequently with cryptocurrency.
After the Crimson Tide faithful buy an NFT, they will have access to exclusive opportunities. These include private chats with Bama athletes, behind-the-scenes content, and in-person events with players.
Other football members of the Big A Legends include Brian Branch, Terrion Arnold, Cameron Latu, Malachi Moore, Kristian Story and Dallas Turner. Others in the NIL group include Crimson Tide women’s basketball player Myra Gordon and Alabama baseball player Caden Rose.
Members of the Big A Legends may also get the chance to be involved in The Players’ Lounge – Experiences. This will offer fans the chance to bid on unique, memorable and interactive experiences with their favorite athletes.
The Players’ Lounge had previous NIL success with NFTs
The Players’ Lounge has already done this type of NIL deal with NFTs in the college football world.
Recently, 11 members of Georgia’s national championship team were part of an NFT launch with DGD Mafia that sold out in 3 hours and raised more than $305,000 in sales. Each student-athlete received $28,000.
After that success, The Players’ Lounge said interest in digital communities at other schools shot through the roof. The group signed 13 players at LSU and last week the Bayou Cat Crew was announced at LSU. NIL communities are also expected to be launched at Auburn, Oklahoma, Texas and North Carolina in the coming weeks.
“Selling a limited number of NFTs to a specific fanbase then splitting the profits with student-athletes in that market is a new trend in the NIL collective space,” said Blake Lawrence, the co-founder and CEO of Opendorse, which is a company that works with schools and athletes to manage NIL activities.