GW Athletics Jumps Into NIL Space With Support from Friends of George

With basketball season now in high gear in Foggy Bottom, George Washington student-athletes now have the benefit of a new tool in their bag. As college student-athletes can now receive compensation from third parties for use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), GW is honored to have the support of a new collective, Friends of George, whose mission is to empower George Washington student-athletes to achieve their greatest potential in the classroom, in competition, and in life, by equipping them with hard-earned resources to achieve their goals.

As the national landscape of intercollegiate athletics is ever-changing, the NIL space and its impact and benefits for GW student-athletes and the university where they compete has become paramount. The opportunity for third-party compensation to a student-athlete for use of their name, image and likeness, on a quid pro quo basis in which the student-athlete is providing services trading off their name, has become a crucial when evaluating department success, no different than coaching and support staff, academic excellence and career opportunities, and the dynamicity of student life on campus.

Friends of George can provide exactly that. A collective that operates per NCAA regulations outside of any formal control of the university, FOG will provide compensation to students that is not an inducement to enroll or continue matriculation, nor is it based on playing time or performance. Rather, the concept is for GW fans to collectively resource funds together in a common pool that pays out for legitimate opportunities for student-athletes to perform duties based on the popularity of their name, image and likeness.

FOG will be led by CEO and GW alumnus Aahil Shermohammed, and promises to foster and facilitate a marketplace for GW student-athletes, while providing industry-wide expertise and mentorship. By equipping GW students with insights and mentorship from GW's worldwide alumni base and top minds in all walks of business, medicine, law, finance, politics, entertainment and more, Friends of George will make an indelible impact on the Buff and Blue and throughout the GW community. For more and to learn how to further support GW student-athletes, visit Friends of George's website.

Coinciding with the launch of the new collective, The ReserveBlock Foundation will provide a pool of RBX masternodes to FOG that will allow participating GW student-athletes to be part of the RBX Network, verify transactions, and earn randomized block rewards. The RBX Network will also enable students to issue interactive NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to sponsors and brands, increasing their connection to the GW community. Through a randomized block reward system for the benefit of all participating student-athletes, earned rewards will be distributed on a monthly basis, with the RBX masternode deployment creating fair and equitable potential earnings for every participating student-athlete regardless of fame, notoriety or playing status.

Additional partnerships at this time include IN-HOUSE, a fashion marketplace focused on athletes and entertainers founded by three GW alumni, which will provide brand-building workshops and opportunities for student-athletes, and UniVarCity, who will onboard GW's basketball teams to provide opportunities for guest appearances and coaching lessons whether it be in-person or virtually.

Friends of George can also be found on Instagram and Twitter, and can be reached via email at friendsofgeorgecollective@gmail.com.

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