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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UNLV Women’s Soccer Team Kicks Off 2023 Season with NIL Deals

NIL momentum continues to grow at UNLV with support for men’s and women’s sports.

(LAS VEGAS) August 15, 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 NIL deals for every UNLV women’s soccer student-athlete. Friends of UNILV is powered by Blueprint Sports, the industry leader in powering full-service NIL collectives nationwide.    

For their first NIL engagement, student-athletes visited Three Square Food Bank where they assembled more than 800 produce bags for seniors in Southern Nevada. Additional NIL engagements will continue throughout the season. Through Friends of UNILV, student-athletes can benefit from NIL opportunities to grow their brand and connect with the community.  

“We are grateful for the opportunity to connect our women’s soccer student-athletes with NIL deals and engagements,” said UNLV Women’s Soccer head coach Jenny Ruiz-Williams. “As a former UNLV soccer player, I get the honor and joy of coaching this talented group at my alma mater. These student-athletes are incredibly hard-working and deserving of new opportunities to help them grow their brands and gain leadership skills for the future.” 

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 and women’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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