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How to Donate to Kentucky NIL: All Current Approved Ways to Contribute

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Twitter/davemcveyr

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.”

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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.

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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

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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/

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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.

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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.

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Football

Louisville Football Player Charged With First-Degree Strangulation, Days After Committing Game Losing Personal Foul

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Louisville Cardinals defensive back Tayon Holloway (20) reacts to his defensive play.
Eric Canha | Imagn

On Monday, Louisville football defensive back Tayon Holloway was detained and charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault.

This comes just days after the former four-star prospect committed a costly personal foul to put a 2-7 Stanford team in field goal range and upset Louosillve 38-35 with a walk-off field goal.

As expected, Holloway has been indefinitely suspended from the team.

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“The University of Louisville is aware of the arrest of football student-athlete Tayon Holloway,” the university said in a statement. “As we gather more information, Tayon has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.”

Things Cardinals seem to be in a downward trend as the Commonwealth Cup nears, November 30th.

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Kentucky snaps four game losing streak defeats Murray State 48-6

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops talking to Murray State football coach Jody Wright.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Kentucky gets a much-needed victory over Murray St 48-6 to snap its four-game losing Streak. Brock Vandagriff led the way for the Cats, going 12-19 for 183 passing yards and two touchdown passes to Hardley Gilmore IV and Ja’Mori Maclin. 48 Points is the most points Kentucky has scored in a game since 2021 when the Cats scored 51 points against Louisville.

The defense held Murray St. without a touchdown. For the second time this season, Kentucky’s defense has held an opponent without a touchdown.

Freshman Standout today:

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For the second time this season, Kentucky breaks the 40-point mark as three freshmen make impacts for Kentucky. Jamarion Wilcox had 13 carries and 124 yards with a touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

Receiver Hardley Gilmore IV had two receptions for 72 yards and caught the 52-yard touchdown pass from Brock Vandagriff on the game-opening drive.

Four-star quarterback Cutter Boley started the second half for the Cats, going 10-14 and passing for 130 yards with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, both touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens.

Defense Bounces Back:

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After giving up over 475 yards of total offense each of the last three games, Kentucky’s defense holds Murray State to 256 total yards of offense while also having three takeaways from the Murray State offense

Defensive Lineman Tre’vonn Rybka led the way for the defense with five tackles and the only sack of the game for Kentucky’s defense. Jordan Lovett had two takeaways in the first half for Kentucky and one in the red zone in the second quarter. Jackson Schultz had the final takeaway, picking off Jim Ogle’s pass late in the fourth quarter.

Box Score

With the win today over Murray St., Kentucky moves to 4-6 (1-6 SEC) with two games remaining. They look to keep their bowl eligibility alive as they travel to Austin, Texas, and face the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns at 3:30 pm on ABC. 

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Mark Stoops Responds to Retirement Rumors, “Zero Percent Chance I Do That”

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops responds to retirement rumors amidst disappointing season. "Zero percent chance I do that."
Jordan Prather | Imagn

To say there is unrest in the Kentucky Football fanbase would be an understatement. With a 3-6 record overall, and 1-6 in the SEC (15th out of 16) things look bleak, and there is still a quarter of the season to go. Considering the regression from the previous two seasons as well, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the future.

Over the last few weeks, rumors have circled that head coach Mark Stoops has considered retiring at the end of the season. Optics wise it makes sense, his older brother Bob Stoops surprisingly retired from Oklahoma at just 56, and Mark, now 57, has expressed a desire to spend more time with his children.

At his weekly press conference, Stoops was asked directly if there is any chance that he would walk away from Kentucky and retire at the season. To which he responded, bluntly:

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“Zero percent chance I do that. Next question.”

Mark Stoops is still owed more than $44 million on his contract. That’s A LOT of money to leave on the table and is the reason that the decision will be Stoops’ to make, as Kentucky cannot afford the buyout.

If Stoops holds true to his word and returns next season, NIL fundraising efforts may be the most difficult it has been for him. However, he hopes it sparks motivation to donate.

“I’ve seen it at other SEC schools,” Stoops said. “I want to stay away from that. I really get tired of — I don’t want to be like I am whining, I am crying. It is reality. You have to have dollars.”

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