Kansas State Wildcats create new NIL collective to help support entire football team

Jun. 24—MANHATTAN — Kansas State football players are ready to take a more hands-on approach when it comes to their name, image and likeness marketing opportunities.

Starting in July, up to 1,000 fans will be able to purchase a membership to the Manhattan NIL Club, a new collective created by members of the K-State football team designed to support, well, the K-State football team.

The goal is to share all proceeds equally among every single player who chooses to participate in the program.

Fans who sign up for a membership with the Manhattan NIL Club will receive benefits such as a meet-and-greet with the team, an annual NIL Club tailgate, access to an online community where they can engage with players as well as special player-created content.

The vast majority of players on the K-State football roster shared information about the collective on social media and urged fans to sign up. The most common tag line: "Let's do something special."

Player-created collectives are a new NIL trend. Several other teams have formed similar programs over the past few weeks.

No one can say K-State isn't well represented in the NIL game. Two separate groups of former K-State athletes created a pair of collectives designed to help the Wildcats start earning money through NIL deals in the spring.

First came The Wildcats's Den, up next was Wildcat NIL. Another collective is coming soon.

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