A Message From Bubba Cunningham & John Montgomery On NIL

UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham and John Montgomery, executive director of The Rams Club, sent this message to Tar Heel season ticket holders, fans and Rams Club members earlier on Thursday.

Dear Tar Heels,

As our Carolina student-athletes begin a new semester, we want to update you about the multiple efforts underway to support our Carolina student-athletes with Name, Image and Likeness opportunities. Over the last 2 1/2 years, three multi-sport collectives have formed to support Tar Heel NIL opportunities, which include facilitating autograph sessions, appearances and commercial promotions. NIL options are vitally important to our 28 teams and more than 800 student-athletes, and we appreciate those of you who have contributed to those efforts to date. Your support has been incredibly helpful and valuable to individual student-athletes and our teams. Thank you.

This coming April, the NCAA will vote on whether to allow universities and athletic departments greater involvement in facilitating NIL for student-athletes. We anticipate that increased involvement will be allowed, and we are working to be ready. In preparation, the three collectives are in discussions to move under one umbrella so that both our Department of Athletics and The Rams Club can collaborate with them more effectively within the rules. This should help streamline communications and the process for those who want to support NIL efforts. NIL is a new area that has changed the landscape of college athletics, and UNC has been incredibly successful because of your generosity and support of Athletics and The Rams Club. We recognize that NIL has been confusing and frustrating at times for donors, student-athletes and fans. This consolidation will help us focus our efforts more efficiently.

In the meantime, as this process moves forward and the fundraising efforts of our three collectives continue, we hope you will take the time to learn more about them and consider supporting their efforts:

NCHOF

North Carolina Hall of Fame, Inc. ("NCHOF") is a section 501(c)(3) charitable organization established to develop a sports Hall of Fame that honors University of North Carolina student-athletes of the past, present and future. It is committed to highlighting the successes of the University's athletic programs and developing relationships between Tar Heels past and present while developing NIL opportunities for as many Tar Heel student-athletes at possible.

Through its relationships with the student-athletes and community organizations, NCHOF promotes local, Chapel Hill area charities to further deepen the great bond between the University and the community. It has helped secure NIL opportunities for student-athletes competing for more than a dozen Carolina teams.

"When I was a student-athlete, NIL opened doors, provided opportunities and sparked relationships that I otherwise wouldn't have experienced. It allowed me to help spread awareness about the sport of Field Hockey while sharing the excellence of Carolina to a wider audience. As a coach, I know NIL can be a game-changer, especially for Olympic sports and women's sports, and I encourage our fans to contribute in order to support UNC's broad-based program."
– Carolina Field Hockey Coach Erin Matson

Heels4Life

Heels4Life supports Carolina Football student-athletes and other student-athletes. It has launched HOLD THE LINE, a grassroots campaign with the goal of raising $1 million dollars to support NIL opportunities. Please click here to join its mailing list.

"As dedicated Tar Heels, Football needs your support to stay competitive and raise the bar. Supporting the Heels4Life NIL collective is our greatest fundraising need and the most significant tool we have to make a positive impact within our program over the next three years and the foreseeable future."
– Carolina Football Coach Mack Brown

Secondary Break Club

Secondary Break Club is dedicated to serving Carolina Men's Basketball and other student-athletes through the creation of NIL opportunities that align with the values of the Carolina Men's Basketball program: community service, personal development and team building. All contributions to the Secondary Break Club go directly to creating NIL opportunities that ensure student-athletes leave a legacy that outlasts their playing days.

"Secondary Break Club was created to help our Carolina student-athletes find opportunities to utilize their name, image and likeness in service-oriented ways. Carolina Basketball has long believed in giving back to others – that's at the core of our program -- and NIL gives us the chance to enhance that focus."
– Carolina Men's Basketball Coach Hubert Davis

At Carolina, we remain dedicated to recruiting, developing and graduating top student-athletes who are committed to being the very best in and outside of competition. Our student-athletes are increasingly looking for new and additional ways to benefit from their NIL, and we hope you will consider contributing to those opportunities now and in the future.

Go Heels!

Sincerely,

Bubba Cunningham
Director of Athletics

John Montgomery
Rams Club Executive Director

University of North Carolina Athletics

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