NIL Collective “502 Circle” Launches to support Louisville Athletics

Louisville alumnus and technology entrepreneur announces new NIL collective to benefit University of Louisville athletics.

It’s a new day in college athletics. NIL Collectives have become a hot topic around college sports as the new name, image, and likeness rules have gone into effect. These collectives have been mostly organized and built by boosters of programs in an attempt to help athletes secure name, image, and likeness deals.

Most of the nation’s top universities have been joining the trend. From Clemson to Oklahoma State, universities are doing everything possible to set their athletes up with the best possible deals.

Introducing the first-ever NIL Collective launched to support UofL Athletes. Founded by a group of Louisville supporters, including UofL alumnus Marc Spiegel, 502Circle will be about engaging the community and bringing student-athletes and fans closer together.

Name, image, and likeness has been a major focus for the Louisville athletics department since its inception last June.

First, under Vince Tyra and continued under new Athletics Director, Josh Heird, UofL has emphasized building a sustainable program that would help attract the top student-athletes across the country, regardless of sport.

A full press release can be found below:

502CIRCLE, AN ALL-NEW NIL COLLECTIVE, ANNOUNCES THE AUGUST 2022 LAUNCH The Louisville community’s New Name Image Likeness (NIL) organization will debut later this summer to assist UofL’s student-athletes in securing NIL opportunities.

(Thursday, June 9, 2022 – Louisville, KY) The University of Louisville’s athletics program has a  history of success. The school’s alumni and devoted fans continue to support the U of L  student-athletes yearly. There is no question that college sports are a significant business in our community. 

502Circle, an independent Name Image Likeness (NIL) Collective, has been established to provide opportunities for U of L student-athletes to maximize their NIL based on their hard-earned success. The platform will officially launch on Monday, August 29, and has been created as a wholly unique and cutting-edge NIL Collective, incorporating best-in-class technology.  502Circle will be operated in compliance with state NIL laws and NCAA rules. It will make it easy for supporters to become involved financially, thus translating to monetary gains for UofL student-athletes. 

Founded by Marc Spiegel, a Technology Entrepreneur and University of Louisville alumnus,  along with a select group of University of Louisville alumni and fans, 502Circle is all about the  UofL community and its support for the student-athletes. Spiegel states, “We know that most major schools have organizations like 502Circle in place, so it’s important for the Louisville community to have a similar outlet for support. 502Circle will utilize the latest technology to engage UofL athletics supporters, businesses, and charitable organizations. We’re creating a  digital experience that can only enhance supporters’ involvement and translate into value for  everyone involved.” 

NIL provides college student-athletes the opportunity to earn money off their “name, image,  and likeness” and was instituted on July 1, 2021. This policy allows thousands of student-athletes to monetize their NIL, a seismic shift for college sports and its players.

502Circle is committed to a sustainable model based on a solid foundation of doing things the right way. Spiegel notes, “We want being in the ‘Circle’ to mean something special. We aren’t solely focused on large money donors but want to ensure we engage every supporter. We  know that begins with creating a brand that people want to associate themselves with.”  

He adds, “All of us who are part of the Collective are consummate supporters of the University of Louisville. The community has certainly felt the upward momentum. The timing couldn’t be  better for our August launch date.” 

To schedule an interview with Marc Spiegel, please contact Erin Jones at 502.774.0767 or email erin@inmodemarketing.com. 

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ABOUT 502CIRCLE 

Founded by a dedicated group of University of Louisville alumni and fans, 502Circle is an independent NIL Collective, a digital platform connecting supporters, businesses, and charitable organizations with U of L student-athletes to enable them to monetize their names, images,  and likenesses.

Companies who wish to get involved with 502Circle should contact partner@502circle.com, while UofL supporters and alumni who want to support the  Collective financially should contact give@502circle.com.

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