Boys & Girls Club Teams with Michigan State’s Coach Mel Tucker on First-Ever NFT Series; All Proceeds Plus Resale Royalties Go to Kids’ Charity
NFTs for charity are the gift that keeps on giving thanks to the digital and authenticated features of NFTs, and the first case study in the country is NFTuck™, the NFT (non-fungible token) series from Michigan State Football Head Coach Mel Tucker. Coach Tuck teamed up with the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan and the more than 21,000 youth and families they serve to create a first-of-its-kind, fan-experience NFT for a cause. All proceeds plus royalties on resales of the NFTs go to the Boys & Girls Clubs in Detroit.
“NFTs are the future of giving for coaches, athletes, and celebrities because of their ability to reach fans anywhere in the world, but also because of the resale royalties that create a revenue stream for charities into the future,” said Shawn Wilson, President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan. “Coach Tucker is modeling what the entrepreneurial spirit looks like – in sports, business or life – and we are immensely grateful that he brought his past experiences with Boys & Girls Clubs to our community and is doing it in a way that our kids can learn from and so can other charities across the country.”
The NFTuck assets feature exclusive experiences, digital images and animations, and limited-edition coins. (www.SpartyNFT.com) The NFTuck series included three different NFTs for Spartan fans to choose from: the Bowl Championship Ring NFT, Tuck Shoe NFT, and Tuck Coin NFT. Each of the NFTs will be available in limited quantities on the NFT exchange Rarible, perfect for the MSU fan looking for an exclusive collectible or gift. www.Rarible.com/NFTuck
“NFTs are the wave of the future for my student athletes and for brand marketing overall, but they’re also the perfect vehicle for building a giving legacy,” said Coach Mel Tucker, who joined the Spartans as Head Coach in 2020. “I could auction off a signed piece of memorabilia for charity one time, but with this NFT, it’s not only authenticated and attached to VIP access and experiences, but every time the NFT sells, the Boys & Girls Club gets another gift from the resale royalties. That’s powerful and shows the way for how I want my student athletes to live life as leaders and achievers, but also with a spirt for community.”
In addition to the Bowl Championship Ring NFT, the Tuck Shoe NFT, and Limited Edition and one-of-one Tuck Coin NFT, NFTuck collectors will get exclusive perks such as access to Coach Tucker (@Coach_mtucker) in-season via private video/chat channels exclusive only to NFT holders and on-field access to practice during the 2022 season.
NFTuck is a first-in-the-nation NFT drop for a coach and team and MSU is working to build an in-house NFT Program for Spartan football that will be a student-athlete-first platform and unique among all NFT and NIL programs in Division 1 athletics, including the ability for student-athletes to do charitable tie-ins and giving.
NFTs are digital contracts that use blockchains – the same technology behind digital currencies – to prove ownership of a particular digital asset, like an image or a GIF. That means collectors of the NFTucks will be the only owners of these digital keepsakes and can show them off or trade them on all major NFT exchanges.
About Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan serves 21,000 kids, families and entrepreneurs through 11 Clubs focused on providing them with the economic, cultural and social capital needed to become career, startup and homeowner ready. Founded in 1926, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan has 95 years of experience in youth development.