New NIL endeavor hopes to benefit University of Kentucky athletes and local charities
An endeavor aimed at merging charitable donations with the relatively new ability for college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness was announced Thursday morning.
CATS for Kentucky is a non-profit organization that will focus on linking University of Kentucky student-athletes with local charities to benefit both groups as recent reforms to the NCAA’s NIL rules have opened the door for college sports figures to make money while still in school.
The group will create NIL deals for student-athletes to be compensated for raising awareness for charities.
“We really want to give back to the charities and the communities in the state, and we thought this would be a great way for us to raise money for different communities and people in need, while also being able to help the UK athletes,” said Todd Harris, the group’s executive director.
CATS for Kentucky has already partnered with several local charities — Cardinal Hill Easter Seals, CASA of Lexington, Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, Foundation for the Tri-State, Gods Pantry Food Bank, Make-A-Wish and Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass — and talks with UK student-athletes have already begun, with specific deals expected to be announced in the near future.
Harris said the organization would have a “charity-first focus,” with a majority of contributions going to those partner charities and the rest to the UK athletes who take part in the process. The CATS for Kentucky board members are working on a pro-bono basis. Harris said many of those members have previous relationships with the charities that have already signed on, and they’re open to other charities jumping aboard to partner with the organization.
Last summer, the NCAA opened the door for college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness while still retaining their amateur playing ability, a move that has already led to lucrative deals for some prominent sports stars.
On Wednesday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed the state’s NIL bill into law, setting up a statewide framework that allows for the commonwealth’s student-athletes to profit off of NIL deals.
Beshear was joined at the bill signing by several prominent Kentucky sports figures, including UK coaches John Calipari, Kyra Elzy and Mark Stoops. Calipari and UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart testified in favor of the bill in a Senate committee hearing last month.
“I think it’s a model bill,” Calipari said then. “I think other states will look at this bill and say, ‘Wow.’ I also think the federal government will look as they start to deal with this.”
Harris referred to the CATS for Kentucky operation as a “fan-driven” process that will welcome donations directly from UK fans that will then be given to charities and the student-athletes who work to raise awareness for those efforts.
He said fans who donate will be asked to designate details like their favorite sport and preferred charity, and those preferences would be taken into account.
“I want this to be across all sports,” Harris said. “Football and basketball will get their own love. But I want the opportunities for people in tennis, soccer, softball, baseball, whatever it is — to have a chance for these student-athletes to get involved with us. And then people who want to contribute to it, they can.”
