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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friends of UNILV Collective Secures Monthly NIL Deals For Every Player on the UNLV Women’s Basketball Team

Lady Rebels will participate in their first engagement at Centennial Hills YMCA.

(LAS VEGAS) July 13, 2023 – Friends of UNILV, the first Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective for UNLV’s student-athletes, is proud to announce it has secured a series of monthly NIL deals with every UNLV women’s basketball student-athlete. This series of NIL deals was made possible through the generous support of UNLV alumni. Friends of UNILV is powered by Blueprint Sports, the industry leader in powering full-service NIL collectives nationwide.

To mark the start of this exciting partnership, the Lady Rebels will host a youth basketball camp on Tuesday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at Centennial Hills YMCA, located at 6601 N. Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89131.

UNLV Women’s Basketball student-athletes broke records, ending their 2022-23 home season undefeated for the first time since 1979. Their successful season was followed by a Mountain West Championship title and a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have a group of women in our basketball program who will do what it takes to win,” said UNLV Women’s Basketball coach Lindy La Rocque. “We know it takes a lot of people working together to make NIL happen and we are grateful for the support of our alumni, to ensure our players are successful on and off the court.”

Friends of UNILV launched in summer of 2022 to provide much-needed and well-deserved NIL opportunities to the hard-working student-athletes at UNLV. Since then, the collective has facilitated monthly NIL engagements for UNLV men’s basketball players, as well as engagements with UNLV football student-athletes.

There are three primary ways to support the Friends of UNILV collective:
• Donations: Make a tax-deductible donation to Friends of UNILV through a partnership with the BPS Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit. Student-athletes will partner with a local nonprofit to work on charitable causes and commit to community service hours.
• Membership: Become a member of Friends of UNILV and receive exclusive member benefits, like meet-and-greets with student-athletes, autographed merchandise, and more.
• Corporate Sponsorship: NIL allows local and national sponsors to partner with UNLV student-athletes for endorsement deals, marketing campaigns, appearances, and other projects.

To learn more about supporting student-athletes through Friends of UNILV, visit friendsofunilv.com

About Friends of UNILV
Friends of UNILV is a fan-driven and alumni-led Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective for University of Nevada Las Vegas student-athletes, alumni, and fans. Community members who commit their support to Friends of UNILV, are pledging to maximize opportunities for student-athletes to build their brand and earn compensation. In addition, community supporters gain access to exclusive events, autograph sessions, and more. Friends of UNILV is powered by parent company Blueprint Sports. For more information visit friendsofunilv.com and follow @FriendsOfUNILV on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Media Contacts:
Allison Monette VP Marketing and Communications allison@blueprintsports.com 702.373.7190

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Nate Brown

General Manager

Nate Brown is the General Manager of Zags Collective, leading the charge to help amplify the opportunities for the Gonzaga student-athletes through NIL partnerships with local charities, fans and businesses. With over a decade of experience in the professional sports industry and as a former business owner in Spokane, Nate is a seasoned professional who knows what it takes to succeed. Most recently, he served as the National Sales Director for a prominent west-coast real estate company, where he was responsible for driving growth and retention. With a deep understanding of sales and marketing, Nate brings a wealth of knowledge to the table and is always seeking innovative ways to drive revenue and create partnerships.With a passion for ensuring the success of student-athletes both on and off the field, Nate is dedicated to providing the necessary resources to keep Gonzaga competitive on the national stage. He understands the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships with the community and local businesses, and works to maximize opportunities for Gonzaga’s student-athletes. As the son of two Gonzaga alumni, including a father who was a baseball pitcher and also a coach for the school, Nate has a great connection to the university and a passion for ensuring its continued success. Outside of work, Nate enjoys spending time with family, including his wife Jessica and their 16-year-old daughter Brooklynn and 12-year-old son Marcus. When not working or spending time with family, you can find Nate at any one of the amazing golf courses in Spokane, honing his swing!

Mike Smith

General Manager

Mike Smith joined Micconope 1851 in March 2023 and is excited to be the General Manager and looks forward to working with Blueprint Sports increase NIL revenue generation for Florida State University student-athletes. Smith comes to Micconope 1851 from Catawba College where he held the title as the Senior Director of Athletics, Development. Prior to working in Athletics at Catawba College, Mike served as the Associate Athletics Director for External Relations at Charleston Southern University. Smith has an impressive background in the collegiate athletics industry, having held senior level development and corporate sponsorship sales roles at The University of Southern Mississippi, Limestone University, the Sun Belt Conference, Florida Atlantic University, and with multimedia rights-holders Tele South Communications at the University of Mississippi, Learfield Sports at UNC Chapel Hill, and with International Sports Properties at Georgia Tech. Smith is a graduate of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, and holds a master’s degree in Business Management from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In his new role here at Micconppe 1851, Smith will be responsible for raising major gifts for NIL deals as well as securing NIL corporate sponsorships for Florida State University student-athletes. Mike looks forward to helping ensure the FSU student-athletes have the resources and leadership opportunities to remain competitive nationally and positioned for success well beyond graduation. Mike is married to Katy Smith; the couple looks forward to relocating to Tallahassee, Florida, and becoming a part of the Micconope 1851 and Seminole family!

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