The Bubba Club Partners with Athlete Licensing Company to Launch and Grow its NIL Collective
NIL Collective Supporting Texas Tech Student Athletes will Leverage ALC’s Professional Expertise and Resources
Nashville, TN [September 26, 2023] — Athlete Licensing Company (ALC), a tech-enabled name, image and likeness (NIL)/intellectual property (IP) third party administrator, today announced its partnership with The Bubba Club, a newly-launched NIL Collective that supports student-athletes at Texas Tech.
Initially, The Bubba Club will focus its efforts on bringing NIL opportunities to the Red Raider’s offensive and defensive linemen, tight ends and full backs, the often unsung heroes of the football team. The Collective has plans to expand its reach to other Texas Tech sports in the near future. The Bubba Club is utilizing ALC’s digital platform to manage the complete range of NIL program tasks associated with sponsorships, endorsements and product sales, including sponsorship facilitation, payments, reporting and compliance. The platform includes a mobile app which allows student-athletes to easily accept and track deals, show proof of work and report their NIL deals as well as receive royalty statements showing transactions while receiving a single, comprehensive 1099 form for tax reporting.
The Bubba Club will also have access to ALC’s NIL expertise, dedicated guidance and resources to maximize donor and fan engagement, source brand, media, group licensing and merchandising deals, as well as dedicated IP rights administration for the student athletes.
“We looked at a lot of options. ALC stood out because of their unique holistic approach and focus on IP rights. We partnered with them because their expertise is critical to helping us build an NIL program from the ground up,” says Wayne Franklin, founder of The Bubba Club. “With NCAA regulations, federal and state laws, there are so many regulatory issues and other pitfalls in NIL. We’re confident ALC will help us quickly meet our goals and make sure that we’re doing it the right way.”
ALC’s platform is agnostic and seamlessly connects student-athletes, universities, collectives, brands, marketplaces, donors and fans. NIL is a student-athlete’s Intellectual Property. While IP has been monetized for decades in the entertainment and professional sports industries, protecting, tracking and ensuring correct payment is complex. ALC developed its software suite based on 25+ years of music-industry IP rights and royalty tracking experience. The company also has a deep background in NIL/NCAA law and University athletic department administration and fundraising, providing consulting services that range from strategic planning to IP litigation and protection.
“Running a successful NIL program is complex and requires many different competencies – from the day-to-day management to regulatory compliance to facilitating sponsorships, events, merchandise, media and payments,” says Bryan Risner, Athlete Licensing Company’s Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. “We look forward to helping The Bubba Club build a strong NIL program that empowers Texas Tech student-athletes today and for many years to come.”
About Athlete Licensing Company
Athlete Licensing Company (ALC) is a tech-enabled NIL/IP rights management company that facilitates third-party administration for student-athletes, universities, collectives, brands, marketplaces and agents. The company puts student-athletes at the center of the ecosystem by providing an app enabling them to optimize and manage their NIL and IP rights opportunities. The company also offers software-as-a-service products that allow for efficient, transparent sponsorship facilitation, payment enablement, reporting and compliance oversight. ALC boasts a wealth of experience in intellectual property management, NCAA/NIL state and school compliance, fundraising, legal, accounting and tax guidance. This expertise allows ALC to provide high-level, professional service to clients as they work to build strong, sustainable NIL programs. For more information, visit www.athlete-licensing.com.
About The Bubba Club
The Bubba Club was founded to empower student-athletes affiliated with Texas Tech to maximize their NIL opportunities, while never compromising their integrity or eligibility. The Collective was founded by a successful local businessman, Wayne Franklin, in order to create the first ever NIL Collective specifically for the Linemen. The Bubba Club’s goal is to support Red Raider football linemen, tight-ends and full backs by facilitating NIL sponsorships through engaging donors, fans, businesses and brands. For more information, visit www.bubbaclub.org.
