Tennessee Baseball junior outfielder Jordan Beck and right-handed pitcher Ben Joyce have joined Outback Steakhouse's TeamMATES program as part of their most recent NIL deal. The program was announced earlier today by Outback on their website and via Twitter.
NIL deals are becoming more and more popular as college athletes rightfully take advantage of the opportunity to get endorsements, and Tennessee's star outfielder and Volunteer Fireman are adding another connection for themselves by teaming up with the Australian steakhouse chain.
But this isn't any NIL deal. The TeamMATES program is focusing on fan involvement by launching an NFT collection 'that will engage and reward consumers in an entirely new way,' per Outback's press release.
The NFT drop will include the release of a limited-edition series of 8,000 non-fungible tokens. The NFTs will be free of charge to fans and are set to drop on June 23. The series of NFTs will be redeemable across all Outback Steakhouses for rewards from the brand, per the press release.
So how are the players involved with the NFTs?
Beck and Joyce, who are two of eight athletes with the TeamMATES program, will promote a lineup of the NFTs and hype up the NFT drop date on their social media pages, telling fans about how they can take advantage of the opportunity to own one of the NFTs and potentially unlock access to exclusive prizes offered by Outback. The prizes will be announced on National Onion Day (June 27) four days after the digital collectibles officially become available to fans.
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In the press release, Outback Steakhouse's President Brett Patterson shared that the decision to focus on NFTs–which are becoming increasingly more popular with individuals all over the world–serves as a unique way to connect fans with their favorite athlete.
“As we continue to grow the TeamMATES program, we’re seeking new opportunities to engage with athletes and fans in a unique way,” said Patterson. “In the latest iteration of the program, we’re celebrating America’s pastime and integrating NFTs as a way to rally fans of baseball, softball and Outback.”
In addition to the NFT collection, Outback declares the new brand will help their TeamMATES support their favorite charities.
The entire list of all eight athletes teaming up with Outback are below.
Ben Joyce–Tennessee Baseball
Jordan Beck–Tennessee Baseball
Baylee Klingler–Washington Softball
Kelley Lynch–Washington Softball
Jocelyn Alo–Oklahoma Softball
Jayda Coleman–Oklahoma Softball
Hunter Barco–Florida Baseball
Colby Halter–Florida Baseball
Beck and Joyce, who are now teammates in two ways, will look to keep playing baseball all the way up until the NFT Drop. First for the pair of Volunteers and the rest of top-ranked Tennessee is Super Regionals weekend against Notre Dame.
First pitch times and TV info can be found here.
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Photo Credit: Andrew Ferguson of Tennessee Baseball Athletics
