NIL collective Crimson and Cream to sponsor baseball, softball camp

The Oklahoma-focused NIL collective Crimson and Cream has organized a baseball and softball camp that will feature six Oklahoma athletes. The camp will be held from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, Nov. 6 at North Rock Creek High School in Shawnee, Oklahoma. It’s open to students within the district of North Rock Creek Public Schools.

Oklahoma outfielder John Spikerman, pitcher Aaron Calhoun, infielder Jackson Nicklaus, outfielder Rylie Boone, utility player Sophia Nugent and infielder Alynah Torres will be in attendance.

After signing the contracts, the players promoted the event on social media and they’ll help run drills for the children who attend.

pic.twitter.com/MANqogoRfk

— Sophia Nugent (@SophiaN2021) November 3, 2022

Oklahoma boasts one of the premier softball programs in the country. Last season the Sooners won their second consecutive national championship. They finished the season with a 59-3 record, capped off with 16-1 and 10-5 wins over Big 12 rival Texas in the Women’s College World Series.

Boone, who’s primarily a left fielder, was named to the 2022 Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team. She posted a .408 batting average last season.

Oklahoma’s baseball program finished as the national runner-up at the College World Series, falling to Ole Miss in the finals.

The agency Student Athlete NIL (SANIL) powers Crimson and Cream, as well as numerous other NIL collectives around the country. Here you can view On3’s database of more than 190 NIL collectives around the country.

SANIL Account Manager for Crimson and Cream Alyssa Slayton said Sunday’s camp will be the first time these Oklahoma athletes have providing instruction at a camp through the NIL collective. Slayton said Crimson and Cream is “pushing it as participating with the Oklahoma community, [the] next generation of ball players.”

Slayton said North Rock Creek Public Schools secondary social studies teacher Keaton Hernandez, who helped arrange the camp, has strong ties with the university.

“He’s wanting to kind of bring that out and really help support the collective but then also support these sports and giving players an option to get out there,” Slayton said.

Crimson and Cream’s NIL efforts at Oklahoma

After Crimson and Cream’s launch in September, 12 Oklahoma men’s basketball players, plus quarterback General Booty, also signed with the collective.

Jalen Hill, Otega Oweh, Joe Bamisile, Tanner Groves, Bijan Cortes, Jake Moser, C.J. Noland, Jacob Groves, Grant Sherfield, Milos Uzan, Sam Godwin and Luke Northweather were the men’s basketball players who signed with Crimson and Cream.

Crimson and Cream features both a 501(c)(3) component, as well as a commercial side.

“Our main focus will be heavily on the commercial side, where there’s no cap on earning potential for student-athletes,” SANIL co-founder and CEO Jason Belzer previously told On3’s Jeremy Crabtree.

Slayton said the fall is “very beneficial” for baseball and softball players’ NIL opportunities, given the two sports’ schedules in the spring and summer.

“Then also still being able to keep that contact with the local communities to support the sport that has also impacted them so much, clearly. Going to college to play it,” she said. “So it’s kind of that full-circle moment.”

While Sunday’s camp is the first for this group of six Oklahoma athletes, Crimson and Cream plans to expand its involvement with local communities through NIL-related events across the state.

“The goal,” Slayton said, “is to continue it on and to keep pushing and expand to other cities and other communities around Oklahoma.”