TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Toledo community leaders have partnered with Blueprint Sports to unveil ‘Friends of ‘Rocky’ – the first Name, Image and Likeness Collective supporting student-athletes at the University of Toledo.
‘Friends of Rocky’ is led by a board of advisors made up of local fans, alumni and donors, and chaired by Toledo supporters and Cleves Delp, long-time successful Toledo business executive for Rockets football.
Toledo is the first MAC school to have a NIL collective. It’s called Friends of Rocky, referencing the school’s mascot, and it will support Toledo Rocket athletics. Friends of Rocky has a board of directors, while Toledo businessman Cleves Delp will chair the collective.
The group said it’s hoping to set the market rate for collectives in the MAC. For now, that going rate appears to be $1 million a year. It’s not a small number by any means. But it does pale in comparison to the $13 million that Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is looking for.
TOLEDO, OHIO (August 34, 2022) – Today, Friends of Rocky, a Toledo-based name, image, and likeness (NIL) collective announced the launch of the BPS Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed with the mission to educate, encourage, and assist student-athletes in their efforts to engage with the local community through charitable causes. Coinciding with its launch, the BPS Foundation just received its Section 501(c)(3) determination letter from the IRS, making it one of the first NIL organizations in the country to earn a federal tax exemption.
The launch of the BPS Foundation will expand the opportunities to support University of Toledo student-athletes through charitable partnerships, as well as educate student-athletes on how they can capitalize on their name, image, and likeness. To date, Friends of Rocky has completed about a dozen NIL transactions with University of Toledo student-athletes, with an average $1,000 per transaction. All donations made through the BPS Foundation will be tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Donors can choose to support all student-athletes at the University of Toledo.
