Newly-Formed Partnership Will Create More NIL Opportunities For Tennessee Athletes

In the new era of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), many companies are struggling to find ways to help student athletes maximize their opportunities with businesses. But with a new partnership formed by Spyre Sports Group and Opendorse, life just became a lot simpler for Tennessee athletes looking to monetize their brand.

Spyre Sports Group, a media and marketing agency based in Knoxville, has teamed up with Opendorse, a sports technology company that maximizes endorsement value for athletes. This partnership will help "to provide a streamlined experience for the athletes to compliantly manage opportunities from start to finish." The group will work with donors to put together NIL deals from which both businesses and the student athletes can benefit.

Once the new law went into place, student athletes needed someone to help bridge the gap between businesses and themselves, and Spyre has been at the forefront of that since the beginning. The Spyre Sports Group is being led by University of Tennessee graduates James Clawson, Hunter Baddour and Sheridan Gannon. This group has already been involved within the NIL landscape around Knoxville, securing deals for multiple Tennessee athletes across many different sports.

The problem for some athletes in the new NIL era is the complexity of making sure they get everything right when putting together an agreement or a business partnership. Well, this will be solved by Opendorse, an app that will help athletes navigate their way through opportunities, contracts, payment processing, and activities disclosure necessary for compliance. The athletes have to pay taxes with these deals, so the app will also help prepare any necessary tax forms.

Simply put, this will be a one-stop shop for student athletes who choose to become a part of this new partnership. This group of people actually know what they are doing and not just winging it, which I've seen far too many times over the past few months.