Burr & Forman LLP is pleased to announce that the Burr Sports Law and NIL team represented an innovative team of Auburn University alumni to assist their name, image and likeness (NIL) collective, Friends of Auburn, LLC d/b/a ON TO VICTORY, in acquiring an existing NIL collective that supported Auburn University student-athletes. ON TO VICTORY’s acquisition was among the first, if not the first, acquisition of an NIL collective ever, considering the relatively recent rollout of NIL rights for college athletes on July 1, 2021.

“We were grateful to work with ON TO VICTORY and assist with its unique dedication to the student-athletes of Auburn University,” said Bill Lawrence, partner at Burr & Forman, leader of the firm’s Burr Sports Law and NIL team, and the collective’s primary counsel in the acquisition. “We formalized our NIL practice with a primary focus on helping college athletes navigate the new and fast-changing NIL world to meet their financial, branding, and personal goals now and into the future, and we are proud to work with an organization like ON TO VICTORY that shares that objective.”

On to Victory was founded by Auburn alumni, including Mike Arasin, Nick Davis, Steve Fleming, Keith Jones, Ned Sheffield and Wesley Spruill. The management has pledged the collective exists solely to benefit Auburn student-athletes, with a commitment to efficient fiscal operations, rigorous compliance with all NIL regulations, and ownership and management who will not receive compensation or profit from the collective. The members acquired an existing collective, NIL-Auburn, to expand opportunities for Auburn’s student-athletes. More information about the collective is available here.

“In the current NCAA landscape, schools need collectives for their athletic departments to field competitive teams and succeed, and the more effectively operated collectives with thoughtful business models like ON TO VICTORY will have an even greater advantage,” Lawrence said. “It has been a pleasure to work with this passionate team of Auburn alumni to help fulfill their vision for this unique NIL collective and guide it through regulatory changes and uncertainties, and we look forward to seeing all they accomplish on behalf of Auburn’s student-athletes.”

The firm’s Burr Sports Law and NIL team was launched in conjunction with the July 2021 rollout of NIL regulations from the NCAA and states across the country. The group is dedicated to serving as legal partners for college athletes, their advocates, and others in the NIL field as they navigate the complex and evolving NIL rules to make smart, profitable and well-structured business deals with lasting impacts.

Visit BurrSportsLaw.com for more information.

About Burr & Forman LLP

For more than a century, Burr & Forman LLP’s experienced legal team has served clients at the intersection of business and government with local, national, and international interests in numerous industry and practice areas, ranging from commercial litigation and class actions to corporate transactions, including bankruptcy and restructurings. A Southeast regional firm with 360 attorneys and 19 offices in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, Burr & Forman attorneys draw from a diverse range of resources to help clients achieve their goals and address their complex legal needs.