UT Athletics To Be Funded By Clark Field Collective in $10 Million NIL Agreement

The move will help skyrocket NIL deals for current and future Longhorns

The University of Texas at Austin reached an unprecedented milestone in the realm of name, image, and likeness (NIL) on Wednesday, as it was announced that the Clark Field Collective has become official for Texas athletics. 

Nick Shuley, a sports and music marketer who has worked with large events like Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza, has been working with Longhorn donors and former Texas athletes on the $10 million funds dedicated to NIL activities for Longhorn athletes. 

“The University of Texas at Austin maintains the largest, wealthiest alumni donor base in the entire country,” Shuley said. ” It’s time a network like this existed to support our college athletes. The Collective is being established to make that happen.”

Shuley will serve as the CEO of the collective, putting him in a position to lead a fund that would be the largest of its kind in the realm of NIL and college sports. Essentially, the fund would help facilitate and create NIL opportunities for UT athletes who are looking to get their foot in the door. 

Former Longhorn athletes have already agreed to take part in this milestone, as former Texas basketball player TJ Ford and former football player Kenny Vaccaro were announced as board members of the Clark Field Collective. 

“The best University in the country deserves an NIL program to match," Ford said. With Austin now home to some of the biggest businesses in the world, we knew there was an easy way to connect the business community to athletes while creating something that not only facilitates opportunity but also educates and helps prepare them for life after sports."

Ford, who spent two seasons as a Longhorn from 2001-2003 and played eight seasons in the NBA, will serve as a board member for basketball-related activities within the collective. 

Fittingly, Vaccaro will serve on the board for football-related actives. After announcing his retirement from football on Wednesday, the former New Orleans Saint and Tennessee Titan will be looking to get his start in the realm of e-sports as well. 

“Texas is always one of the highest-grossing athletic programs in the NCAA, and we intend to ensure that all student-athletes at Texas have a way of participating in these immense financial opportunities,” Vaccaro sa.

The number of former UT athletes to be a part of the collective will likely grow in the near future. With the presence of guys like Ford and Vaccaro to help lead the way, UT athletics (football and basketball in particular) could see a huge increase in top-level receipts making their way to Austin to pursue NIL deals. 

Regardless of when that might be, the future of Texas athletics is shining bright after this monumental move. 

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