1890 Nebraska - Nebraska Cornhuskers Collective

The 1890 Initiative launched in October 2022 is an ambitious Nebraska-focused collective that could shake up the already crowded Cornhusker NIL space. Former Husker great Matt Davison partnered with Nebraska businessman Tom Peed and Shawn Peed to form The 1890 Initiative. As part of the launch, the group is taking over Athlete Branding & Marketing, as ABM intends on ceasing operations at the end of 2022. ABM was the first local collective to offer NIL opportunities to Husker athletes, and it has represented dozens of football and volleyball players since August 2021. The collective is working with every major sport at Nebraska. In July 2024, the collective was tapped as the official NIL collective for the Huskers. The collective was rebranded as 1890 Nebraska as part of the partnership. “Nebraska has always been an innovator in collegiate athletics, whether it is in strength and conditioning, nutrition, and athletics performance facilities, and NIL is the latest frontier,” NU Athletic Director Troy Dannen said. “This partnership with 1890 Nebraska will make it convenient for fans and donors to directly support NIL for our student-athletes and provide 1890 donors many of the same benefits and privileges that our Huskers Athletic Fund members receive for their support of Nebraska athletics.”