Division Street Releases NFT Collection Benefiting Participating Women Student Athletes at Oregon
Division Street is making history with its newest NFT collection, "Visions of Flight", which will make the University of Oregon the first school to offer an N.I.L. opportunity benefiting all participating women student-athletes.
The project is spearheaded by Oregon women's basketball star Sedona Prince -- who recently took home the first N.I.L. Summit Female Athlete of the Year award.
"It’s incredibly important to me to use my platform to empower women student-athletes," Prince said in a press release. "Now and for the next generation."
Along with Prince, some of Oregon's premier women athletes have joined Division Street's second set of NFTs, including: Briana Chacon (Golf), Jadyn Mays (Track & Field), Harper McClain (Cross Country), Terra McGowan (Softball), Blessyn McMorris (Acrobatics and Tumbling), Allison Mulville (Tennis), Gloria Mutiri (Volleyball), Brooke Nuneviller (Volleyball), Te-Hina Paopao (Basketball), Croix Soto (Soccer), and Alyssa Wright (Lacrosse).
"Visions of Flight" Student-Athletes
The NFTs will be available for purchase on June 30 at 12 p.m. PST on the Ducks of a Feather NFT Platform -- an exclusive marketplace for University of Oregon athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness.
RELATED: Division Street Launches NFT Platform to Benefit Oregon Student Athletes
The participating women athletes will split 75% of the NFT proceeds, compared to the 67.5% participating Oregon football members received for their "Flying Formations" NFT collection. The remaining 25% will go back to Division Street.
The NFTs themselves were designed by Lili Tae, an artist from Bangkok, Thailand. Tae spoke to each athlete one-on-one and went through different symbols and attributes to make sure each piece was unique and true to the player.
Sedona Prince's "Visions of Flight" NFT
“Being able to collaborate with Lili Tae to bring our voices to life in such an innovative way and benefit all participating women Ducks athletes is an absolute win-win," said Prince. "We couldn’t be more excited about this project.”
RELATED: Sedona Prince Continues to Break Barriers, Partners With Riff on NIL Deal
The excitement is mutual for Tae, who stepped out of her comfort zone in order to work with Prince and the Ducks.
"I get nervous to speak up when it feels like I am being less supported," Tae said. "Seeing Sedona’s video inspired me to remember that is it okay to speak up for yourself and that there are people who will support you.”
The work that the University of Oregon's women student-athletes have done in recent years can be felt throughout women's sports.
Sedona Prince
Prince's viral TikTok about the unequal gym facilities at the NCAA Tournament in 2021 started a dialogue about the need for more support in women's collegiate sports. In seasons prior, Sabrina Ionescu brought plenty of viewers to women's basketball with her excellent play.
Their contributions are certainly not forgotten by Division Street.
“As the 50th anniversary of Title IX draws near, we were inspired by two trailblazing University of Oregon women – Sabrina Ionescu and Sedona Prince – who regularly use their voices and platforms to shift the landscape of women’s sports,” said Division Street CEO Rosemary St.-Clair. “Visions of Flight will enable U of O women student-athletes to express their voices through creative NFT design in partnership with Lili Tae, who is a trailblazer in her own right as an artist.
With Division Street's assistance, the University of Oregon continues to set the standard for what student-athletes -- and especially women student-athletes -- can accomplish with N.I.L. opportunities.
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