A few weeks ago, UK Athletics announced that JMI Sports will manage its new in-house collective, BBNIL Suite; today, we got some more details on what that operation will look like. Kentucky is branding BBNIL Suite as a comprehensive, opt-in NIL program that will be available to all of UK’s 500+ student athletes for individual […]
A few weeks ago, UK Athletics announced that JMI Sports will manage its new in-house collective, BBNIL Suite; today, we got some more details on what that operation will look like.
Kentucky is branding BBNIL Suite as a comprehensive, opt-in NIL program that will be available to all of UK’s 500+ student athletes for individual and team-based opportunities. JMI Sports will use its resources to pursue NIL deals for student-athletes, negotiate them, and ensure that they comply with the NIL Go clearinghouse. They’ll also help student-athletes build their personal brands, giving them access to their 20,000 square-foot production center and learning lab at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center and other resources.
None of that information is new; however, we did get some clarity on how those deals will go down. In a release shared this morning, UK Athletics says JMI Sports will leverage Kentucky’s 200+ official partners for NIL opportunities while also actively pursuing partnerships with new local and national brands. That means that players can also have deals with companies outside of UK’s umbrella. Players can also have their own agents, but will also have access to opportunities through the BBNIL Suite.
After speaking to some people involved with BBNIL Suite this week, Matt Jones shared his takeaways on today’s show. He used the example of a player being offered a $3.7 million deal to come to Kentucky. $1.5 million of that could come from the $20.5 million revenue-sharing budget, and the remaining $2.2 million would come from deals JMI Sports pursues and negotiates with UK’s official partners or outside companies; through this partnership, JMI Sports is responsible for finding that money.
“If they don’t go out and get it, JMI’s going to have to pay for it,” Jones said. “And if JMI is not able to pay for it, it’ll hurt us.”
That’s a lot of responsibility on JMI Sports’ shoulders in an extremely competitive and challenging landscape. It’s also what makes UK’s deal with JMI so different than what other schools are doing.
“It used to be that if UK Athletics succeeded or failed, you could say that it was Mitch Barnhart’s fault, that is Mark Pope’s fault, that is Mark Stoops’ fault,” Jones said. “You had a place to point your decision.
“I think it is completely fair to say now that there’s a new entity that will be part of deciding if UK works. It’s not just going to be President Eli Capiluto, it’s not just going to be Mitch Barnhart, it’s not just going to be Mark Pope and Mark Stoops. It is also going to be this entity of JMI. That business has to work for Kentucky to be good at sports, and whether they will or not will be determined over time.”
As mentioned, UK student-athletes will have plenty of tools at hand, including the studio at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. They can also develop content and engage with fans through BBN United, the new subscription-based fan club for UK Athletics. Student-athletes will also have access to marketing intelligence from Student Athlete Score, which provides real-time social media analytics, brand readiness insights, and benchmarking tools to help identify “hot market” opportunities.
Who’s in charge? JMI Sports has appointed Kim Shelton as Senior Vice President of NIL Strategy and Executive Director of UK NIL. According to UK’s release, Shelton will serve as the key liaison between UK Athletics, JMI Sports, and all third-party partners in executing BBNIL Suite initiatives, advancing shared goals of maximizing revenue generation and support for UK student-athletes. Shelton is a UK alum and former student-athlete, serving as the captain of UK’s inaugural women’s soccer team. She has over 25 years of experience in multimedia rights, including 15 years in senior leadership positions with JMI Sports, working with UK Athletics.
“Returning to UK is both personal and exciting,” said Shelton. “As a former student-athlete, I know the pride and passion that comes with wearing the UK jersey. BBNIL Suite is built for Kentucky to support student-athletes, strengthen our brand partners, and ensure that UK stays at the forefront of this new era. Our goal is to create opportunities that are innovative, strategic, and supportive of the long-term growth and success of this storied program.”
You can read more details about BBNIL Suite at UKAthletics.com.
Category: General Sports
