Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball Drops 2022 Non-Conference Schedule

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Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

The Vanderbilt men’s basketball team has officially dropped its non-conference schedule the 2022-23 season.

The Commodores are scheduled to play 13 contests before the start of Southeastern Conference play in January, which include Memphis Temple and a trip to California to play in the Wooden Legacy tournament. Vandy will play two road games, as well as three neutral-site affairs.

“We are excited to release the non-conference portion of our schedule,” head coach Jerry Stackhouse says. “Our intention was to build a schedule that not only helped us prepare for SEC competition, but also provided our program with postseason resume building opportunities. We know we accomplished that with the competitive matchups we’ve set up in Memorial Gymnasium and in other unique and challenging environments across the country.”

Vanderbilt will welcome Memphis on Nov. 7 as the two teams will square off for the first time since 1997. The two teams have met 14 times prior, with the Commodores winning eight of those matchups. The first recorded meeting came during the 1925-26 season when Memphis won a 37-20 game in Memphis.

Led by head coach and former NBA star Penny Hardaway, Memphis went 22-11 last season, beating Boise State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and nearly knocking off No. 1 seed Gonzaga in the second round.

Hardaway and Stackhouse were in the NBA at the same time from 1995-2008.

Vandy is 5-2 all-time against Memphis at home. The Tigers claimed the last meeting in the 2005 NIT in Memphis.

On Nov. 23 and 24, the Commodores will be one of four teams at the Wooden Legacy inside the Anaheim Arena in Anaheim, California. Vanderbilt will take on Saint Mary’s in the opener before facing either Washington or Fresno State on the second day.

Saint Mary’s was one of the best mid-major teams in 2021-22, going 26-8 last season, earning a No. 5 seed and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after a win over Indiana. The Gaels had a NET ranking of 19 and notched a win over No. 1-ranked Gonzaga.

Vanderbilt is 3-0 in three previous meetings with Saint Mary’s, having last won an NIT matchup in March of 2015 in Moraga, California.

Another game to watch out for is Vandy’s first-ever matchup agains Wofford on Dec. 3. The Terriers went 19-13 a season ago and were invited to participate in The Basketball Classic postseason tournament but opted to withdraw.

Over the last five seasons, Wofford has averaged 20.8 wins per season headlined by victories over Georgia, North Carolina (2x), South Carolina and Seton Hall.

On Dec. 17 Vandy will head north to the Windy City to face North Carolina State at the United Center as part of the Legends of Basketball Showcase. The Wolfpack are led by projected first-round pick Terquavion Smith, who posted 16.3 points per game a season ago.

The Commodores are 3-2 all-time against NC State with the Wolfpack winning the last matchup 80-65 in a game played in Miami, Florida. Three of the previous five matchups have been played on a neutral court, with Vanderbilt’s last win coming in 2011 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Vanderbilt Non-Conference Schedule:
Nov. 7 – Memphis
Nov. 11 – Southern Mississippi
Nov. 15 – at Temple
Nov. 18 – Morehead State
Nov. 23 – vs. Saint Mary’s (Anaheim)
Nov. 24 – vs. Fresno St./Washington (Anaheim)
Nov. 30 – at VCU
Dec. 3 – Wofford
Dec. 7 – Pittsburgh
Dec. 9 – Grambling State
Dec. 17 – vs. NC State (Chicago)
Dec. 22 – Alabama A&M
Dec. 30 – Southeastern Louisiana

Predators, Vanderbilt Athletics To Host Smashville Showdown On Sept. 19

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Pictured (L-R): Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi and Vanderbilt baseball outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. Photo: Courtesy of the Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators players and student-athletes from Vanderbilt University will take part in the inaugural Smashville Showdown at Hawkins Field on Monday, Sept. 19, prior to the start of the team’s training camp and ahead of the 2022-23 NHL season.

The charity event, which kicks off at at 6 p.m. CT, will be comprised of two different events–a home run derby followed by a softball game with mixed teams of Predators players and Vanderbilt student-athletes. Predators Head Coach John Hynes and Vanderbilt Baseball Head Coach Tim Corbin will serve as the official coaches for the two softball teams, with mascots GNASH and Mr. C standing in as their assistants.

Tickets to attend the inaugural event are on sale now, with proceeds benefitting the Predators Foundation, the Vandy United Fund, and several local charitable organizations. Afterwards, the Predators Foundation will also auction off items worn and used by the participants in the event, including shirts, hats and bats.

“We are incredibly excited to collaborate with Vanderbilt University and bring our two organizations together for a unique project benefitting the local community,” says Predators Vice President of Community Relations Rebecca King. “It’s going to be a lot of fun for Predators fans to see their favorite players trade their hockey helmets for batting helmets and step up to the plate alongside Vanderbilt student-athletes, all while helping a great cause. We hope this event will make a big impact in our community and be a staple of our preseason schedule for years to come.”

“Needless to say, we are thrilled to collaborate with the Nashville Predators on what we both hope to make an annual event for the community,” says Vanderbilt Baseball General Manager and Chief of Staff Brooks Webb. “This has been a vision for several years now, and it will be an exciting evening watching some of the best from the Predators and Vanderbilt on Hawkins Field become a reality.”

Additionally, Predators broadcasters Chris Mason and Lyndsay Rowley, along with in-arena host Wayne D, will be live from Hawkins Field bringing fans closer to the action with on-field interviews during the event.

More information about the Smashville Showdown will be released in the coming weeks.

Vanderbilt Announces Football Stadium Naming Rights Agreement With FirstBank

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Vanderbilt football stadium. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics/Daniel Dubois

Vanderbilt Stadium has a new name as the University and FirstBank sign a 10-year football stadium naming rights and campus collaboration agreement.

The stadium will be recognized as FirstBank Stadium starting with the 2022 Commodore football season. Through this agreement, FirstBank becomes the official bank of Vanderbilt Athletics and the Vanderbilt Alumni Association.

In addition to football stadium naming rights, the relationship includes a comprehensive multimedia arrangement with Vanderbilt Athletics for all varsity programs. FirstBank will also participate in Vanderbilt student and alumni engagement opportunities, including the sponsorship of student internships and select alumni programming, such as the Owen Graduate School of Management’s Owen Forward alumni engagement speaker series.

Additionally, FirstBank will have the opportunity to conduct on-campus workshops and provide financial products supporting innovation and startup activities at Vanderbilt.

“I’m excited for the opportunities this historic collaboration with FirstBank creates for Vanderbilt Athletics and our student-athletes,” says Candice Lee, vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director. “As the landscape of collegiate athletics continues to shift, we remain committed to our core mission. We will provide student-athletes with the tools to reach their full potential on and off the field and work to unite and inspire the city we call home. I look forward to seeing Nashville come together to support the Commodores at FirstBank Stadium for years to come.”

As Vanderbilt marks the 100th anniversary of Vanderbilt Stadium and Dudley Field this year, construction related to Vandy United will begin to transform the north and south end zones. From concerts and commencements to presidential speeches and football games, the stadium remains a place for the Vanderbilt community and the city of Nashville to come together and celebrate.

Vandy will uphold and honor the designation of Dudley Field, the venue’s original name when it opened in 1922, as the first stadium in the south to be erected exclusively for college football.

“Vanderbilt is a Nashville institution—in, of and for the city,” says Chancellor Daniel Diermeier. “This agreement with FirstBank, and the possibilities it creates, forges a new kind of collaborative connection among our university, our community and our Commodore student-athletes as we all—to use our university motto—‘dare to grow’ and realize our shared potential together.”

Headquartered in Nashville, FirstBank has 81 full-service bank branches across Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia, and a national mortgage business with offices across the southeast. The bank serves five of the major metropolitan markets in Tennessee and has approximately $12.6 billion in total assets.

“For more than a century, FirstBank has built its reputation by believing in the power and potential of our community,” FirstBank President and CEO Chris Holmes says. “Partnering with Vanderbilt reinforces our shared commitment to the idea that world-class excellence can have local roots. We believe FirstBank Stadium is more than a name. It represents an opportunity to strengthen this community and mentor leaders who will shape an even brighter future.”

The Commodores started their 2022 season with a win, beating Hawaii 63-10 on Saturday (Aug. 27).

Press Kit: Vandy Football Looks To Continue Growth In Clark Lea’s Second Season

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Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea with linebacker Anfernee Orji. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

August is finally winding down which means that college football is back as Vanderbilt gears up for another season with growing pains ahead.

After another poor season in 2021, Vanderbilt football looks to continue to grow its program under second-year head coach Clark Lea.

In his first year, Lea led the team to a 2-10 record overall and a 0-8 conference record. The team suffered some abysmal losses, but came close to beating South Carolina (21-20) and Missouri (37-28), and were able to score double-digits in its final four games of 2021.

The road ahead will be difficult with the SEC only getting better, but Vandy has a few key players that can push them to some wins this season.

Mike Wright. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Quarterback Mike Wright is coming off a solid end to the 2021 season, throwing six touchdowns in the final four games, as opposed to only two TD’s in the previous six. He also threw 947 yards in the last six games of the year, when he started with just 95 in his first four games played.

This year with more experience, confidence and being named the starter for the 2022 season, Wright will only get better in Lea’s offense. He can also be a threat in the rushing game as he ran 152 yards against Missouri and scored a rushing touchdown against Tennessee. Earlier in the summer, the junior was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List.

Helping Wright on the offense will be wide receiver Will Sheppard. Sheppard started in 11 games last season and finished with 43 receptions, four touchdowns, 557 receiving yards, and averaged 13.4 yards per catch.

Will Sheppard. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

The Senior will be one of the most important players on the field for Vanderbilt and will be key to increasing the team’s scoring after being shutout or held to single-digit scores four times in 2021.

It’s not hard to imagine that with Wright under the center in his first full season that Sheppard can hit 1,000 receiving yards.

One of the biggest factors for the team, and probably the biggest for the defense, is senior linebacker Anfernee Orji.

Orji had a great 2021 campaign starting all 12 games and leading the team with 93 tackles and 13 tackles for loss, placing him 12th in the SEC in total tackles. He made 13 tackles against Colorado State, the most by a Commodore during the 2021 season.

Orji is set to have a stellar senior year to help set up Vandy for a few extra wins. He has been nominated for the Bednarik Award Watch List, Butkus Award Watch List and has been named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-SEC team.

Anfernee Orji. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Fans will have the opportunity to see some exciting teams visit Vanderbilt Stadium as it celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Vandy kicks-off the season spending a week in Hawaii before playing the island team in Week 0 on Aug. 26. On Sept. 10, they will host No. 22-ranked Wake Forest as SEC Network programs will be on campus all weekend long.

The Commodores will also host No. 21 Ole Miss on Oct. 8. The Rebels, led by coach Lane Kiffin, had a great year in 2021, finishing with a record of 10-3 overall and 6-0 at home. They made a trip to the Sugar Bowl last year, eventually losing to Baylor 21-7, and will be looking to play a similar season in 2022.

Vanderbilt will play its final two games of the season at home against Florida and in-state rival Tennessee. Both teams were left out of the AP Pre-season Top 25, but Tennessee will be a much better team this season than in 2021.

Fifth year quarterback Hendon Hooker will be one of the top quarterbacks in the conference as UTK looks to grow the program back to its former glory.

As always, the Vandy-Tennessee game slated during Thanksgiving weekend will be must-see college football.

Nashville Voices: Belmont’s Rich Tiner

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Rich Tiner. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

Belmont University and its athletic department has seen a lot of change over the past decade. With those changes has come new buildings, athletic centers, a larger student body and more championships.

With all of this progress and development, though, some things stay the same. Rich Tiner, former professor at Belmont, has been a mainstay for the Bruins as the lead broadcaster for women’s basketball and baseball for over 20 years.

Tiner has been the voice for so many huge moments in Bruins women’s basketball and baseball, including OVC Tournament games and NCAA Tournament runs. He has seen coaches come and go and players rise to heights of which Belmont has never seen, but it all started when he was eight years old setting up baseball cards in his bedroom and creating games in his head where he led the play-by-play.

“I absolutely loved baseball and I sat on my bed in the summer with the window open and two stacks of baseball cards, each one arranged into a lineup, and I made up baseball games in the grass outside my window,” Tiner explains to The Sports Credential. “I kept score and everything, I just made it up and called play-by-play of a game that I was imagining in my mind. It goes back that early for me.”

Pictured (L-R): Former Belmont women’s basketball player Hannah Harmeyer & Rich Tiner. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

A product of Texas, Tiner grew up in the heart of high school football country where he got his start as a spotter for radio broadcasters and PA announcers. With his first opportunity, Tiner had a huge roster in front of him and would place a pen by the the person running, tackling, and catching so the play-by-play person could just glance down instead of memorizing the names and numbers of huge teams.

“My dad was close friends and worked with a guy who called high school football down in south Texas,” Tiner recalls. “My dad kept stats for them before live stats and computers. When I was between 12 and 13, I would go with my dad and be a spotter for the guy that was doing play-by-play.”

Throughout his college years, Tiner stayed in broadcasting but was also heavily involved in the Christian music industry, running and later owning stations in Texas, Washington, and eventually Nashville. In Texas when he and his father bought a station, they added high school football knowing it would be great for the growth and ratings. Tiner got back in the booth and began calling games over the air for the first time.

“I started doing play-by-play because I thought it’d be fun and, if I did it, I wouldn’t have to pay somebody else and there really wasn’t anybody else. It was a small town so I just started doing it, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Tiner has been an integral part of Belmont and Belmont athletics as the ‘Voice of the Bruins’ for over two decades and serving as Belmont’s Faculty Athletics Representative. He’s worked with student-athletes, the athletic department, and the NCAA serving as a member of the Division I Council.

Over the year’s, Tiner has seen so much change from the building where the Bruins play, to how they broadcast games to fans from around the country and world.

Rich Tiner with former Belmont women’s basketball coach and Tennessee Sports Hall of Famer Betty Wiseman. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

At the beginning, he was calling games that aired on the university’s radio station but, as the season’s rolled on and Belmont joined the Atlantic Sun Conference and eventually the Ohio Valley Conference, the Bruin’s moved from over-the-air radio broadcasts to live streaming video broadcasts with ASUN TV, the OVC Digital Network and finally ESPN+.

A lot has changed behind the scenes, too, as Belmont has grown in both size and finances. From the Strickland Arena to the Curb Event Center, the university has gone from a small production group to a huge staff of full timers, as well as students offering to help produce award-winning broadcasting.

“[The broadcast] got better because those first years were audio only,” Tiner explains. “We started with what was called ASUN TV, which was the Atlantic Sun Conference’s digital initiative. Between me and Greg Sage, who was also involved in that, we helped the ASUN develop that whole thing and improve it. Once we added the video component, we had to staff it, and part of that process was adding sports production coursework. We had students that were available to help with crew but, from their perspective, it was an opportunity for students to do real world lab work for their class.”

He continues, “They were doing live, multi-camera productions of sports contests for their for part of their coursework. Students loved it and they learned a lot. It was great experience for them! In those early days, those students that did well had jobs lined up because they were the first ones. There weren’t five million people that had experience doing sports production like there are now, so it was really a win-win on the academic side, for the athletics program, and for our students.”

Rich Tiner celebrating the Belmont Women’s Basketball’s 2017 OVC Tournament win with Hannah Harmeyer. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics.

The work from Tiner, Belmont’s Associate AD for Broadcasting & Media Relations Greg Sage, former athletic director Mike Strickland and many more, gave students hands-on experiences that couldn’t be replicated in the classroom. Many Belmont alumni that worked with the athletic department producing these live broadcasts went on to become top-tier broadcasters of their own, including former WKRN sports host and current 247 host Emily Proud, WBIR Knoxville anchor Madison Hock and Broadcast and Digital Reporter for the Oklahoma City Thunder Paris Lawson.

“As the old retired professor, there is nothing that makes me happier than seeing these former students have such success. That makes my day when I think about them,” Tiner says fondly.

Through countless baseball games and women’s basketball championships, Tiner doesn’t think about calling it quits as he’s just having too much fun. He’s always been a professor first since coming to Belmont in 1996, but the love and joy he gets from calling games and seeing the hundreds of student-athletes grow from 18-year-old kids to young men and women is what takes the cake.

“I have this ritual that when I set up my broadcasting gear and I get finished testing everything out. I look out onto the baseball field or the basketball court and I just take this deep breath, and I say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe they pay me real money to do this,'” Tiner explains. “I’m still just like that eight-year-old kid sitting on the edge of my bed, making up a game in the grass because I love doing it so much. But this time I’m not making up a game. It’s a real game and it’s really awesome student-athletes. I love them all like they’re my own kids, so I feel pretty honored and blessed after all these years to still get to do it.”

College Corner: Bruin Local Exchange, TSU Football, SEC Nation

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Belmont Expands Partnership With INFLCR, Launches Bruin Local Exchange

Belmont, in partnership with INFLICR, has launched the Bruin Local Exchange–a platform where local and national businesses can connect and communicate with Belmont student-athletes to build and fulfill Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL) agreements.

“Expanding our partnership with INFLCR reinforces our commitment to Belmont student-athletes within the NIL landscape,” says Belmont University Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Corley. “INFLCR’s industry-leading technology will benefit our student-athletes while elevating our branding and storytelling efforts as a University.”

INFLCR offers athletic departments a place to send those interested in starting an NIL conversation with student-athletes and allows businesses to access a school-specific directory to filter and contact specific student-athletes by team, sport, and customized options. For student-athletes, all NIL business conversations can live in their INFLCR account with automated payments and streamlined reporting for tax purposes. Belmont student-athletes will also be able to take advantage of INFLCR’s VIP partnerships with companies such as Meta, TikTok, WWE, Campus, DigiSign, Subtext, Mike Slive Foundation and more as part of the INFLCR Global Exchange.

Inside the platform, companies can automate their reporting of transactions with student-athletes, and utilize INFLCR’s tools to identify, communicate, and transact with student-athletes who have opted in to be contacted for educational and NIL transaction opportunities.

Belmont and INFLCR are also broadening their partnership to include the INFLCR Verified product line for all 17 Belmont NCAA Division I athletic teams. Belmont activated INFLCR for men’s and women’s basketball in 2021-22.

 

 

Three TSU Players Named To Black College Football Player of the Year Award Watch List

Tennessee State University’s Draylen Ellis, Devon Starling, and James Green have been selected to the Black College Football Player of the Year Award. The Award is presented annually by The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) to the most outstanding football player from a Historically Black College & University.

Entering his first season at TSU after transferring from Austin Peay, quarterback Ellis was ranked among the FCS leaders and led the OVC in passing touchdowns (19), passing yards (2,625), yards per completion (13.7), and total offense (268.5 ypg). He became only the third Governors quarterback to record 2,500-plus passing yards in a season, and set program records for passing yards per game (262.5) and total offense per game (268.5).

Starling followed his OVC Co-Freshman of the Year honors by earning second-team All-OVC honors.  He was injured in the next-to-last game of the year, which limited him to 15 carries and 39 yards over the final two games, but still finished the year ranked 45th nationally with 800 total rushing yards and three touchdowns. Starling also caught 37 passes (for 312 yards) which was the most on the team, fifth most among all players in the OVC, and tied for 1st among all running backs. Against OVC champion UT Martin, he rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown and caught 12 passes for 117 yards; the 12 receptions was the most of any FCS running back in a game this season.

Green led the TSU defense with 77 total tackles (41 solo and 36 assists). He also had one sack, one interception (at Eastern Illinois), and one forced fumble/fumble recovery at Mississippi State. For his efforts at Eastern Illinois, Green was named the OVC Co-Defensive Player of the Week. His INT against the Panthers moved TSU to the two-yard line—a return of 47 yards—which set up the first score of the contest.

 

 

SEC Network’s ‘SEC Nation’ To Visit Vanderbilt 

SEC Network’s SEC Nation presented by Johnsonville will broadcast from the Vanderbilt campus on Sept. 10 in advance of the football team’s home game against Wake Forest.

SEC Nation, which airs weekly on SEC Network before the start of the day’s college football action, is hosted by Laura Rutledge and includes Paul Finebaum, Tim Tebow, Roman Harper and former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers.

In addition to SEC Nation presented by Johnsonville, other popular shows Marty & McGee presented by Old Trapper and The Paul Finebaum Show presented by Johnsonville will also originate from campus that weekend. All three shows will be broadcasting live from The Commons in the heart of Vanderbilt’s campus.

This is the show’s first return to Nashville since the start of the 2019 season, when it was on campus for the Vanderbilt-Georgia game.

Weekend Schedule:

  • Friday, Sept. 9
    • The Paul Finebaum Show presented by Johnsonville, 2–6 p.m. CT
  • Saturday, Sept. 10
    • Marty & McGee presented by Old Trapper, 8–9 a.m. CT
    • SEC Nation presented by Johnsonville, 9–11 a.m. CT
  • Vanderbilt vs. Wake Forest kickoff, 11 a.m. CT (SEC Network)

Titans QB Malik Willis Named TransPerfect Music City Bowl’s Youth Football Ambassador

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Malik Willis. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans

The TransPerfect Music City Bowl has partnered with Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback and 2018 bowl alum Malik Willis to be this year’s Youth Football Ambassador.

Willis will visit local teams and promote youth football at leagues across Tennessee that’s assisted over 20 leagues since its inception in 2003.

“Malik has shown to not only be an exceptional football talent, but a great role model off the football field,” Scott Ramsey, President/CEO of the TransPerfect Music City Bowl says. “We’re grateful to have him serve as role model for youth football players in our region, especially as a bowl alum.”

Willis is in his rookie season with the Titans after being drafted with the 86th pick in the 3rd Round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Liberty. He led the FBS in touchdowns (47 passing, 27 rushing) in his two years with Flames guiding Liberty to two bowl victories. Prior to transferring to Liberty, Willis spent his first two seasons at Auburn where he appeared in the 2018 Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl. Willis completed a pass and was Auburn’s second-leading rusher in a 63-14 win over Purdue.

“I’m honored to serve as the TransPerfect Music City Bowl’s Youth Football Ambassador,” says Willis. “As a kid growing up, sports taught me about teamwork, discipline and a strong work ethic, which are important traits to being successful on and off the field. I’m passionate about what youth football can teach and I’m excited to share that with our community.”

Throughout the year, local youth leagues will receive thousands of dollars in donations to help buy/repair equipment, uniforms, maintain facilities, pay for game officials and implement new league programs. In addition to monetary donations, the leagues also receive an official bowl helmet sticker, a free ticket for each coach and player of the leagues’ championship-winning teams and a mouthguard provided by longtime supporter Delta Dental of Tennessee.

MTSU Announces Blue Raider Exchange To Support Student-Athletes NIL Ventures

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The Middle Tennessee State University Athletics Department, in conjunction with INFLCR, has announced the Blue Raider Exchange . This initiative will allow student-athletes to pursue Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL) business opportunities.

The Blue Raider Exchange will be the home for all Middle Tennessee NIL information, education, opportunities, and reporting. Members of the business community will now be able to partner directly with student-athletes on brand-focused activities, provided they are within legal protocols, follow the MTSU NIL guidelines and are approved in advance by the MTSU Compliance department.

Examples of possible business deals include public appearances, autograph signings, social media promotion and endorsement, private lessons and athletic camps.

“The Blue Raider Exchange is set up to allow us to better serve our student-athletes and provide them with direction on taking advantage of their name, image and likeness,” says Director of Athletics Chris Massaro. “We are excited for our student-athletes to capitalize on these opportunities and look forward to having our supporters and businesses utilize this platform.”

After a business or individual registers on the Blue Raider Exchange, they will have access to a searchable database of MTSU student-athletes. They will have the ability to message the student-athlete directly in the application or request contact information to begin discussions about any potential NIL transaction. INFLCR and MTSU will not be involved in any of the negotiations.

“MTSU’s Blue Raider Exchange opens the door between local businesses and student-athletes, making it easier for all parties involved to complete NIL deals efficiently and compliantly,” says Jim Cavale founder and CEO of INFLCR. “This custom platform makes NIL at MTSU really exciting for current and future Blue Raider student-athletes.”

Upon finalization of an NIL deal within the Local Exchange, student-athletes will be able to complete a compliance disclosure within the INFLCR app. The app will also include a payment processing tool for the business to securely and directly pay the student-athlete. All disclosure and payment data automatically reports to the institution’s existing INFLCR compliance portal, and any payments processed using this tool will be reported on a consolidated 1099 that lives in the student-athlete’s INFLCR app for more efficient tax reporting.

Companies can register for Blue Raider Exchange now via GoBlueRaiders.com/Exchange.