NIL collective Volunteer Club becomes official partner of Tennessee athletics

The Volunteer Club has become an official partner of Tennessee athletics, securing a sponsorship agreement with Learfield.

Powered by the Spyre Sports Group marketing firm, the collective has become one of the leading organizations in the space. A for-profit entity, The Volunteer Club secured the public endorsement of athletic director Danny White this fall. Now it has the official blessing of the athletic department.

Through the partnership, the collective will have full use of the institution’s marks and colors. It will also have the opportunity to advertise during athletic events at Neyland Stadium and Thompson-Boling Arena, for example.

“I think when you look at the University of Tennessee, that’s a brand that has built up trust and recognition in this community since it was founded in 1794,” Spyre’s vice president of athlete and brand marketing Will Watkins said in a phone interview. “For us to be able to tack on a Power T that people have known since the day they were born, I think that gives us great legitimacy to what we’re doing.”

The Volunteer Club has grown to 2,769 members with an expansive e-commerce business. According to co-founder Hunter Baddour, Spyre has executed 1,400 deals since July 2021. They currently have 90 athletes on active contracts. Spyre told On3 in February the Volunteer Club had procured $13.5 million in NIL deals. 

Along with advertising, the collective will be able to start working with the athletic department’s other corporate partners. Watkins said there have already been conversations about integrating school marks with The Volunteer Club’s logos to make it more recognizable for donors.

Spyre Sports was named On3’s No. 1 ambitious collective this week.

“This sponsorship opens up a part of the fanbase that may have been waiting to see this,” Spyre co-founder James Clawson added. “It’s almost like an endorsement.”

Tennessee partnership opens up tailgating possibilities

Last season, Tennessee football finished 11-2. The Vols knocked off Alabama for the first time since 2007. With the rising interest in The Volunteer Club and Tennessee football, the collective held a string of tailgates for boosters and fans.

Plans are now in place for the organization to have a designated spot on campus to hold their tailgates. A meeting place before games, it’s also a key place for prospective donors to learn more about the collective and possibly commit dollars.

Putting on a first-class event is crucial, Watkins said.

“We have the ability to utilize tailgate space that we’re going to be doing every single game, one spot that Tennessee has helped dedicate to us for the season,” he said. “It gives us more space. Our tailgates were overcrowded last year because we had so many fans and members trying to come. And then they’re also going to let us do some really creative things with other parts of the campus.”

The Volunteer Club is not the first collective to secure a partnership agreement with its school through Learfield or Playfly. NIL operations at Alabama, LSU, USC and Baylor have all struck similar agreements. In the ever-evolving realm of NIL, however, it’s crucial for collectives to have the full backing of their administration.

Donor fatigue has become a real issue for collectives in the past six months. Organizations have looked to outside revenue sources. Others have gone to great lengths to build out their donor base.

This will only help The Volunteer Club tap into another faction of the Tennessee fanbase.

“It’s really important to tie yourself to the organization,” Watkins said. “Most of these schools trust Learfield to take care of their brand. Learfield is kind of the keeper of the brand, keeper of the mark. So connecting yourself to the university through Learfield legitimizes everything you’re doing.”