Ohio State Football Players Announce Team-Wide Name, Image And Likeness Initiative

The Columbus NIL Club will give paying fans access to meet-and-greets and exclusive interviews with players.

Author:
Andrew Lind
Aug 25, 2022 1:05 PM EDT

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Ohio State Buckeyes

More than 75 members of the Ohio State football program announced on Thursday a team-wide name, image and likeness initiative called the Columbus NIL Club.

The membership-based community allows fans to financially support the team with a commitment of at least $5 per month and gains them access to digital meet-and-greets, question-and-answer sessions and interviews with the Buckeyes.

Fans who commit at least $25 per month to the Columbus NIL club will also receive a jersey of former Ohio State defensive end Chase Young, while those who commit $100 or more will be invited to a steak dinner with players this fall.

The players have partnered with YOKE, a company that helps with tax compliance, website development, message board moderation, marketing and analytics in exchange for an 18 percent platform fee. The remaining revenue will be split equally among the team.

According to the Columbus NIL Club’s website, the team has a monthly goal of $50,000. It’s unclear which players are participating, though many of them took to social media to announce the community’s unveiling.