Hurricane Helene: NC State athletes donate portion of NIL earnings to relief efforts

After Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina, a group of NC State athletes is looking to help with relief efforts through NIL. They’re donating a portion of their earnings to aid in the cause.

Through One Pack NIL – NC State’s primary NIL collective – 48 athletes are donating a combined $4,635 to Samaritan’s Purse. The organization is working to lead the relief efforts in western North Carolina as the death toll continues to rise after the storm.

“This idea originated from our student-athletes asking how they can help our neighbors in need,” said Chris Vurnakes, One Pack NIL’s executive director, in a statement. “This initiative speaks to the culture of NC State, the leadership of our programs and the values of our student-athletes. This is truly NIL for good.”

The collective isn’t the only way NC State athletes are helping with the relief efforts in North Carolina. EDGE Davin Vann is also playing a role as the NCSU athletics department partnered with his family’s company, Joyful Movers, to collect items for those in need.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the death toll is nearing 160 after Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina, according to the AP. The storm made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm and was still at Category 2 as it passed over Atlanta, and the devastation continued through the Blue Ridge Mountains as the hurricane worked its way north.

How Hurricane Helene impacted college football

College football was also impacted by Hurricane Helene. Appalachian State and Liberty canceled their game in Boone – one of the hardest-hit areas in North Carolina – as a result of the storm. Stanford also had to adjust its travel plans as it headed to Clemson, and East Tennessee State coach Tre Lamb told On3’s Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman about his team’s travel issues en route to its game against The Citadel.

Support continues to come in from around the college football world in the aftermath of the storm. That includes a heartfelt statement from Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz, who coached at Appalachian State before taking over in Columbia.

“I just want to start by saying my heart and my thoughts and prayers are with the people of western North Carolina,” Drinkwitz said to open his press conference on Monday. “Obviously my wife and I and family spent some time there in Boone, North Carolina, and to see the devastation caused by the hurricane has been very difficult.”