Louisville's 502 Circle NIL collective launches Floyd Street Media network

As NIL collectives identify new revenue streams, Louisville is launching an athlete-driven media network.

Through a new partnership with The College Sports Company and NOCAP Sports, the Cardinal-driven collective 502 Circle is launching Floyd Street Media. The network will drive dollars to athletes and create revenue without relying on booster donations.

College Sports Company will produce content for the school, handling media operations and talent. NOCAP will bring its sales infrastructure and experience with sports sponsorships and NIL to help bring in new revenue for Louisville athletes.

As part of the partnership, College Sports Company and NOCAP have already driven in $400,000 in new NIL dollars before launch through sponsorships and advertising. Floyd Street aims to drive upwards of $1 million in Year One.

“The assets being created through this media network provide a new way for brands to invest into NIL and College Sports,” CEO of NOCAP Sports Nicholas Lord said. “Many brands are still hesitant to invest in individual athletes, so this gives them a way to support NIL without tying their brand to one athlete. We will see a lot of brands make their first move into NIL via these media networks. The positive feedback we have gotten already from brands to get involved with this has been overwhelming.”

Former Penn State and UMass tight end Adam Breneman is a co-founder of College Sports Company and has established a similar athlete-driven media network in State College. Penn State’s State Media has a handful of shows, featuring Breneman and former quarterbacks Christian Hackenberg and Trace McSorley with current players.

Floyd Street Media is launching a “Louisville Basketball Show: Keep it 100″ with Cardinals players Kasean Pryor and Noah Waterman. Former Louisville basketball player Luke Hancock is also launching his own social media series.

The network is providing behind-the-scenes coverage of Louisville’s Bahamas tour this week with a live stream of the Cards’ exhibition games.

“The Louisville Athletic Department has been saying for years that people cheer for people they know and like,” 502 Circle president Dan Furman said. “This will allow our supporters to connect with our athletes in a way that they’ve never been able to before.

“We are going to tell the story of Louisville Athletes and what makes our community go. I can’t wait to see how Floyd Street Media will evolve starting with today.”