Knoxville, TN (April 5, 2022) –Blueprint Sports, the industry leader in full-service NIL collectives, is proud to unveil Friends of Basevols, the first Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective supporting baseball student-athletes at the University of Tennessee (UT). UT alumn Craig Jenkins of the Jenkins Agency leads the collective along with the support of other Knoxville community leaders. Current Basevols team members Evan Russell, Kirby Connell, and Jordan Beck also serve in a leadership role as the voice of their fellow student-athletes. Behind these key individuals, this collective’s mission is to provide opportunities for current and future Basevols team members to maximize their abilities to earn off their NIL in ways not seen before. "These young men embody character and determination; they deserve to have our fan base solidly behind them in whatever capacity, large or small," said Jenkins. 

"To see our baseball fans come together like this to provide opportunities for me and my teammates is special. We love playing in front of our fans and being able to give back whenever we can. Our fans are like family, which makes this gratifying," stated Vols right fielder Jordan Beck.  

On the Friends of Basevols website, supporters have multiple options in ways they can engage with the baseball student-athletes. Options include making a one-time or recurring financial contribution, engaging directly in corporate advertising campaigns, youth sports coaching sessions, brand representation, merchandising programs, speaking appearances, etc. Supporters can take comfort that their engagements will occur in an NCAA-compliant manner with individual student-athletes on the team, such as star Pitcher Kirby Connell. "This means the world to my family and me that Friends of Basevols has been created. My parents have sacrificed every day of my life to help me achieve my goals, and I look forward to learning about opportunities in the community with our fans to earn extra money to assist my family."    

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. The Friends of Basevols is the latest collective powered by Blueprint Sports to launch in 2022. Other collectives include Friends of Spike, around Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, Friends of Wilbur & Wilma, around the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ, and Friends of UNILV around UNLV in Las Vegas, NV. The Blueprint Sports management team possesses over 50 years of college and professional sports experience, spanning the Pac-12 Conference, IMG, Learfield, Nevada Athletics Commission, and more. For more information on Blueprint Sports and to see samples of their work, visit www.blueprintsports.com. 

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 "Friends of Basevols" and Blueprint Sports – The Ferraro Group
Heidi Goitia / 928-220-1747 Heidi@theferrarogroup.com