Iowa football players unveil subscription platform to raise NIL money

Iowa is latest program to have NIL club operated by YOKE

Jul. 6, 2022 5:41 pm

Iowa wide receiver Arland Bruce IV (10) celebrates with teammate Gavin Williams (25) after a 2-yard touchdown run against Illinois, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, in Iowa City, Iowa. Bruce and Williams are among the Iowa athletes to promote the Iowa City NIL Club on social media. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

IOWA CITY — Iowa football players unveiled the Iowa City NIL Club — a new avenue for fans to financially support them — Wednesday on social media.

“The Iowa City NIL Club is a membership-based community that allows fans to access and support the players like never before,” a statement tweeted by several Iowa football players said.

The many players to participate in the club include Alex Padilla, Xavier Nwankpa, Gavin Williams and Jack Plumb. The profits from the NIL platform will benefit all participating players equally, according to the social media statement.

For a $199 annual subscription, members will have access to an annual tailgate, content from players, an “online community to engage with the players” and other benefits. The club will have 2,000 “access passes” for sale in late July.

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The Iowa City NIL Club mirrors subscription-based NIL membership platforms at other Big Ten programs, including the Twin Cities NIL Club for Minnesota players and the East Lansing NIL Club for Michigan State players.

YOKE operates the school-specific NIL clubs. The company describes itself on its website as the “premier web3 company providing technology for athletes to build community and receive equitable compensation for their name, image, and likeness.”

The NIL clubs are not YOKE’s first venture in the NIL world. The company said last year it’d pay athletes for sharing a post on their Instagram stories — an offer that drew concern from some sports law experts.

“I would be a little less trustworthy of these non-publicly traded behemoths that you're signing their terms and conditions,” said Dan Lust, a New York Law School professor, in a July 2021 Gazette article.

YOKE did not immediately respond to a message from The Gazette on Wednesday seeking comment about the Iowa City NIL Club.