FAQs

We are a sports marketing agency founded by former University of Michigan Athletes to support current U of M athletes in NIL opportunities. Because we were athletes ourselves, we understand the student-athlete experience and are focused on providing NIL opportunities in a manner that maximizes the potential to the student-athlete but that does not distract from their athletic or academic pursuits.

NIL stands for name, image, and likeness and pertains to promotional activities that student-athletes can now be compensated for, due to recent changes enacted by the NCAA and state legislatures.

Due to recent changes in the NCAA and with state legislatures, student-athletes can now profit from the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL). Working within the guidelines of what is permissible we facilitate NIL opportunities for student-athletes including but not limited to:

• Group licensing apparel deals
• Signing events at The M Den
• Marketing partnerships with local and national brands
• Licensed NFTs
• Media appearances
• Signed memorabilia
• Podcast appearances
• Private training sessions

Athletes are legally allowed to receive "fair market value" for NIL deals. Here is how the athletes are compensated:

• An individual, group or company contracts with us for an allowable NIL activity.
• We assist the athlete with the completion of the paperwork that is required to be submitted to the University of Michigan Compliance Services Office.
• We pay the standard licensing fees to the University of Michigan where it applies to branded apparel, merchandise, or NFTs.
• We pay the fees associated with the goods or service being provided.
• We receive a small management fee for our services.
• The rest of the income goes to the student-athletes who participate in the NIL activity.

Please use our Contact Page to let us know more about your level of interest and budget. We will be continually expanding our offerings, NFT collection and apparel offerings. We will also be adding additional events and experiences, and your input could help shape some of our ideas.

In the state of Michigan, high school athletes are not allowed to participate in NIL activities. Furthermore, NIL activities and income cannot be offered as inducements for a recruit to attend any particular college or university. We are, however, allowed to discuss the types of NIL promotional programs we execute with prospective student-athletes, and the success of Michigan NIL programs will have a growing influence on future decisions as college athletics evolves.

The University of Michigan is not allowed to facilitate NIL arrangements but has provided Valiant Management with exclusive licensing agreements. Valiant Management pays the university applicable fees where university marks or facilities are used, creating another revenue stream for the university.

NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token and it pertains to digital assets which are created and stored on a blockchain, which is a form of digital ledger. We will be creating a collection of NFTs that commemorate Michigan athletics and athletes (both current and former). NFTs are exciting as it relates to NIL for a number of reasons. First, they are the future of sports collectibles and, unlike a great deal of memorabilia, they cannot be tampered with or counterfeited. Second, they are a great way to reward our athletes without requiring an undue amount of time on their part.

How to purchase NFTs on the Valiant Collection (via Nifty Bridge)

Step 1: Purchase the NFT on our storefront just like you would any other product. Enter billing information and follow the steps to proceed through checkout process.

Step 2: After purchase is completed, check your inbox for an email with instructions on how to claim your NFT. This email will be from “info@niftybridge.io” so make sure to check spam or allow emails from the above address if it does not show up in your inbox initially. Once you find it, click on the “Claim NFT” button to be directed to the wallet entry page.

Step 3: If you already have a wallet you can skip straight to step 4. If you do not, you will need to create one. We highly recommend creating one with MetaMask because they will be the easiest to view and manage your NFTs long term. However, you can also use any wallet that accepts Ethereum.

If you choose to create a wallet via MetaMask, click on the “Connect to Metmask” button and you will be taken to their website to either install the browser extension or mobile application. Follow the onboarding instructions carefully and if you want more assistance please see this article which goes through step by step of the process once the extension/app is downloaded.
 
PLEASE NOTE: If you choose to use a wallet other than MetaMask, you may not be able to view the NFT or transfer it off of that wallet in the future. For this reason, we strongly recommend you store on a wallet that supports NFTs. For more wallet options please see this article.

Step 4: Once you have a wallet set up, return to the NFT claim page to enter your wallet address.

For MetaMask wallets: select the “Connect to MetaMask” button and click “sign” when prompted by MetaMask for approval.

For all other wallets: copy your ETH address from the wallet and paste it into the Wallet Address box. Then click Submit.

You should see a confirmation screen that the wallet entry was successful if done correctly.

Step 5: Check inbox for confirmation email confirming the transfer has been completed successfully. This process can take several hours depending on the amount of transfers happening at once so do not worry if it takes a bit of time.

Congratulations! You now own the NFT and can view the transaction on the blockchain by visiting a block scanner and entering your wallet address.

Step 6: To view your NFT and set up your trading account, navigate to OpenSea.io and connect your wallet. You can also change your floor price and sell the NFT if you wish. For instructions on setting up your OpenSea account please see this article and skip to the third step.

All purchases of physical items are done through the M Den's website. For all returns and exchanges please check their returns policy here.

All NFT purchases are Non Refundable.