Hawaii Volleyball Scores NIL Deal with ONIT

University of Hawaii, The Brandr Group collaborate on trading card partnership

May 4, 2017; Columbus, OH, USA; The BYU Cougars against the Long Beach State 49ers at St. John Arena. / Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

NIL trading card brand ONIT is getting into the men's volleyball game for the first time, partnering with No. 8 ranked University of Hawaii on a team deal for the Rainbow Warriors. Currently competing in the Big West Men's Volleyball Championship, Hawaii's volleyball players are featured in 4,500 packs of trading cards on sale now online, at the school bookstore and across 19 Hawaii Texaco stations operated by Island Energy Services on multiple islands.

Facilitated by The Brandr Group, this marks ONIT’s first partnership with a college men’s volleyball team. Following the National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship, team members will make appearances to support the trading card launch and engage with fans.

According to the brands, Rainbow Warrior athletes will be compensated based on a competitive revenue share per pack as well as for the inclusion of their autographed cards and social media content. Additionally, Island Energy Services will also compensate players for making appearances at its proprietary convenience store concept, AMA.

“We really appreciate The Brandr Group facilitating innovative, inclusive and engaging student-athlete NIL opportunities such as this multifaceted program with ONIT and Island Energy Services,” said Craig Angelos, the Director of Athletics at the University of Hawaii. “This campaign is a win-win and is true to the original spirit of NIL, allowing participating student-athletes a unique opportunity to profit from their NIL by bringing multiple brand partners to the table."

This collaboration allows for multiple revenue streams for the athletes - from one campaign - maximizing the Rainbow Warriors' NIL earnings.

“Island Energy Services is proud to continue its support for the University of Hawaii Athletics program by teaming up with The Brandr Group and ONIT to make available these unique, one-of-a-kind trading cards featuring student-athletes from the UH Men’s Volleyball Team,” said Al Chee, Vice President, Retail Marketing and Community Relations for Island Energy Services. “This is a great way for Island Energy Services to give back to Hawaii, and particularly those who passionately cheer on our UH sports programs.”

The third-seeded and two-time defending tournament champion Rainbow Warriors (23-6) will face No. 2-seed UC Irvine in a semifinal match on Friday at 7PM PT.