Notre Dame officially enters NIL recruiting battle, unveils collective led by Brady Quinn

As the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era in collegiate sports continues to evolve, more and more collectives are being launched to benefit student-athletes at certain schools. For athletes at Notre Dame, they now have that luxury, as a new NIL collective – the FUND Foundation – has been created to allow them to promote charitable organizations that they are passionate about.

The FUND Foundation, which stands for “Friends of the University of Notre Dame,” is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is being spearheaded by former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn to help push the Fighting Irish forward in the ever-evolving NIL landscape. Quinn played at Notre Dame from 2003-2006 and spent seven years in the NFL.

The FUND Foundation’s website officially launched Monday, meaning that Notre Dame supporters can now donate to benefit Fighting Irish student-athletes “who are making a difference in our community,” as stated on the website.

Many different schools now have NIL collectives in place to benefit their student-athletes, with Notre Dame being the latest to join in.

Looking at On3’s College Football Name, Image and Likeness Rankings, the Fighting Irish’s Michael Mayer ranks No. 80 in the NIL 100. The tight end has an On3 Valuation of $157,000 with 34,000 social media followers.

Notre Dame, Texas the latest schools to launch NIL collectives

Notre Dame joins Texas as the latest school to create a NIL collective to benefit their student-athletes, as the Longhorns recently launched an official NIL marketplace titled “Leverage Lineup.”

According to On3’s Eric Prisbell, Leverage Lineup will allow for easier access in assisting, aiding and maximizing Texas athletes’ NIL opportunities. The new platform will also allow fans, vendors and companies to access the profiles and pitch them for sales – which could be a game-changer for Texas players that are building their brands.