Kenny Brooks is emphasizing the importance of NIL and asking Big Blue Nation to support Kentucky women’s basketball.
Brooks, who UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart announced as the ninth head coach of Kentucky women’s basketball on March 26, partnered with name, image and likeness collective Club Blue to ask fans to support the program.
The UK Athletics NIL and Commonwealth Causes partner posted a video of Brooks calling for fans’ support through Club Blue on Tuesday.
“I’m grateful to be a part of Big Blue Nation,” Brooks said in the video. “And I can’t wait to meet our amazing friends and supporters. Today I’m coming to you to ask for support of Club Blue Women’s Basketball. This is your opportunity to support our women’s basketball program and athletes from an NIL perspective.”
Club Blue allows fans to directly support UK Athletics through either a one-time donation or a tiered, monthly donation system. Fans choose which of UK’s NCAA-sponsored sports they’d like their donation to support. According to the site, “100% of your net contribution to Club Blue will pass through to support UK NIL efforts.
Brooks goes on to list incentives granted in exchange for donations.
“Club Blue Women’s Basketball provides access to VIP experiences, monthly giveaways, exclusive merchandise and other perks throughout the year. We truly appreciate your support. Let’s get this party started.”
There are five separate monthly “contribution options” available to supporters — ranging from the “Pioneer” at $25 a month to the “GOAT” at $500 a month — each granting at least 100 entries to monthly giveaways, a “Club Blue Swag Bag,” access to the club’s exclusive store and store vouchers of varying worth.
This is the first time a Kentucky women’s basketball coach has publicly rallied for NIL support in this capacity, and this call to action arrives almost a month after John Calipari and the UK men’s basketball team announced “La Familia,” an NIL initiative with all proceeds going to UK basketball players.
