Tennessee Vols Players Announce Player-Led NIL Club

The NIL-era is in full effect and one day after teasing a big NIL team release, the Tennessee players just announced the launch of the “Knoxville NIL Club”.

“Yeah, absolutely. Are you kidding me?" Heupel responded when asked if the existence of NIL was good for Tennessee at SEC Media Days. "The Power T is one of the strongest brands in all of college sports. It is that because of the passion and pageantry and fan base. All things I thought from the outside looking in, but now I have a great appreciate for now that I have been here for 18 months. The state. Vol Nation. Across the country. Absolutely it is a positive for Tennessee Football."

Heupel, a former high-caliber player himself, has been an advocate for NIL since it went into effect on July 1, 2021. Over a year later, he has remained unchanged in his stance, while other coaches across the country bicker and complain about its existence. Instead, Heupel sees opportunity inside of the change.

"Yeah, for us, I think there's great opportunity in it," I mentioned Hendon and what he's been able to do, have an impact on our community, on youth inside of our community in particular. It's an opportunity to educate and empower our student-athletes, which is what college football and the collegiate experience is all about. I think it's dramatically changed the way that young people come into your program, how thoughtful they are about every situation that they're involved in, how they're portrayed in what's out there on social media, the decisions they're making every night of the week. I think in those ways it's such an empowering tool for our student-athletes. I just go back to myself as a player. Certainly the most powerful thing that I had was my teammates and the logo that I was playing for. At the same time, though, I think I was creating some value there, too. I would have liked to have had an opportunity to have been afforded to take part in NIL. Would have liked to have worn my starting left tackle jersey or worn his shirt. I look at my own kids, Jace and Hannah, that get a chance to run around the house or run with their friends and wear a Cedric Tillman and Hendon Hooker shirt or jersey. I think there's empowering opportunities through NIL."

This is another example of how NIL presents opportunities to student-athletes.