The biggest story in Kentucky athletics this week has undoubtedly been about NIL, and specifically how Kentucky is falling behind.

After two decommitments and with 2023 football recruiting class ranked just No. 48 in the country, Mark Stoops voiced some frustration towards where the Wildcats currently stand in NIL.

In his weekly press conference on Monday, Stoops said, “we need support from the community, the state. It is what it is.”

Calling on the average fanbase to donate money to NIL will certainly turn some away, but there is certainly a large portion of the Big Blue Nation that would gladly show their support. There is just one problem, most people don’t know how.

This is no fault to their own and stems from a disconnect from UK Athletics, who has promoted little information on the new collectives. Hence why this article has been written.

Earlier this week, KY Insider reached out to the Kentucky athletic department to see the approved ways that fans and local businesses can help with NIL. Take a look!

This information comes directly from the Kentucky athletic department.

BBNIL Exchange

If you are a business owner or just an individual that is interested in pursuing a student-athlete to promote your business/product or support, please check out the BBNIL Exchange at the following link:

https://dash.inflcr.com/exchange/the-university-of-kentucky

Individual Student-Athlete Apparel

You can also support your favorite Wildcat by purchasing your favorite Kentucky Wildcats name and number T-shirts customized with your favorite players’ names on the UK Team Shop.  Athletes will be compensated for each sale in line with the group licensing model that 100 percent of the players in the NFL, MLB, WNBA and MLSPA participate in.

https://www.ukteamshop.com/?query=NIL&_ref=p-HP:m-SEARCH

Organizations That Accept Donations for NIL Activities

Additionally-there are several organizations that we are aware of that are taking donations. Those include:

Athlete Advantage: https://athleteadvantage.xyz/the-15/ 

Charities Across the State for Kentucky: https://catsforkentucky.org/

Commonwealth Causes: https://commonwealthcauses.org/donations/donation-form/

K Fund

Finally, the K Fund is the fundraising arm of the University of Kentucky Athletics Department, responsible for providing the resources necessary to ensure our student-athletes have the opportunity to earn a first-class education and compete for championships. These resources are provided through student-athlete scholarships, state-of-the-art facilities, and the financial support essential for UK Athletics’ 22 varsity sports programs to excel.  By investing in the K Fund, you are providing support to more than 500 UK student-athletes and helping ensure their academic and athletic success. Donations to the K Fund, through Annual & Capital funds, are used to provide:

Student-Athlete Scholarships – tuition, room & board
Academic Support and Career Development
Athletic Facilities Maintenance, Renovations, and/or New Facilities
Coaching & Administrative Support

Please contact the K Fund office at 859-257-6300 for more information or visit our website: https://ukathletics.com/sports/k_fund/

We hope that this information was found to be helpful and provides the Big Blue Nation with some clarity about where currently NIL stands.

It is important to note that on Wednesday, reports did come out that Kentucky will be releasing some more information within the next week that should better their position in the NIL landscape.

What are some things you would like to see when it comes to NIL?

Also published on A Sea of Blue.