By Lincoln Arneal
Nebraska volleyball has long been at the forefront of the volleyball world. From program success to selling out regular season matches and sending players to the Olympics, few colleges can match the Huskers’ success.
On Thursday, Nebraska was part of a historic announcement in the world of name, image and likeness, or NIL. The 1890 Collective received a pledge of $5 million from Nebraska Crossing – an outdoor shopping mall – and JUSTDATA, both located near Gretna.
The donation will be paid out across 10 years. The NIL arrangement is likely one of the largest specific to volleyball.
“Thank you to the Nebraska Crossing team for this generous gift to 1890 in support of Husker Volleyball,” NU coach John Cook said in a press release. “Your vision for NIL is a game-changer for Husker Volleyball and will propel our program for years to come.”
According to a release by Rod Yates, the owner of Nebraska Crossing, each athlete will receive $2,000 FASTCASH annually to redeem at Nebraska Crossing stores.
JUSTDATA, a stock market data provider which has a location at Nebraska Crossing, also recently announced a partnership with Drew Brees as a strategic investor. Purdue, from which Brees graduated, is also working with JUSTDATA.
