It's the moment all, or at least some, of us have been waiting for:
The shiny new combined NIL collective that will undoubtedly usher Tech Athletics back to national prominence is
The Tech Way!
Recent clarifications from the NCAA are allowing universities to promote NIL collectives, and
The Tech Way along with
Jackets for Atlanthropy are the two initiatives that are going to be promoted by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association starting in 2023. So when you check out the Tech Way
website, you are getting a sneak preview of what will be publically announced by the GTAA in January. The timing of this promotion will coincide with the completion of the extended Competitive Drive Initiative which will wrap up at the end of 2022.
These two organizations represent the for-profit (
Tech Way) and non-profit (
J4A) branches of the GT NIL efforts. Their sites are linked to one another (although the Tech Way webmaster is currently fixing an error with the J4A link) and both will be in communication on resource use, athlete contracting, compensation, event scheduling, etc.
If you have been supporting Swarm the ATL, then you likely received an email last week addressing their future plans. I was not privy to any of the decision-making there, but understand that they are no longer accepting subscriptions.
I have heard multiple times from contacts within the GTAA as well as others in the NIL space that having a unified approach is essential for success in regard to NIL, and I believe that is being accomplished at Georgia Tech. These actions will allow GT to compete for recruits in the current landscape of college athletics while keeping in compliance with state and NCAA rules.
You may have heard Brent Key's response during his introductory press conference to a question about NIL, "I believe in being a program that's going to take care of their current players. We're going to, and when you go on the road recruiting it's when players see how your current team is taken care of and feels about everything, I think that's the attraction that we need here at Georgia Tech, that we will have here at Georgia Tech moving forward."
Coach Key's comments show that he is aware of the efforts being made currently which include a substantial collection of contributions from donors wishing to bolster NIL opportunities at GT. The Tech Way will provide avenues for current athletes to earn NIL compensation and those opportunities will be made visible to prospective athletes. That's how NIL funds are leveraged for recruiting without being illegal inducements. I have been told by a member of the Tech Way board, and it stands to reason, that there are fewer GT football players entering the transfer portal than there otherwise would be because of these undertakings.
Please take a look at
The Tech Way and
Jackets for Atlanthropy websites for further info and to understand how you can contribute if you desire. This isn't just a big donor thing. Participation is needed at all levels. There are many ways to contribute including tax-deductible options as well as a newly developed givebacks program akin to Amazon Smile that donates a portion of eligible online or credit card purchases at no cost to the consumer. I'll try my best to answer questions as they arise.
Lastly, I want to thank Kelly and Russell for providing such a great platform where info like this can be shared. Their hard work is the reason such a large gathering of active fans exists in this space.
