Save the Weekend: Preview will be fun, informative benefit for players
The Seminole Showcase, formerly known as the Garnet and Gold Game, will be held on Saturday, April 20 and I can’t remember a year when there has been more curiosity among Seminole fans about who the upcoming team will be. Who will replace Jordan and Jared and all the players from the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship team?
With all the interest, and all the questions, I thought what better time to help organize a Friday evening event to satiate your curiosity, so together with The Battle’s End, the Name, Image and Likeness collective that works with FSU’s football student-athletes, we will create a fun night filled with football information.
The Friday evening preview to the Seminole Showcase will help FSU fans prepare for what and who they will see on Saturday. It will be a fun party with all the right people. We’ve invited everyone to attend, members of the FSU administration, football staff, former players and coaches, and members of the media, to yack about spring practice observations and the prospects for the 2024 football season. The event will be held at the Moon on Friday, April 19, from 5-7:30 pm and will include a broad array of online silent auction items, including exclusive team gear, autographed memorabilia, game tickets and/or parking, as well as valuable items donated by the community. If you have something you’d like to donate to the silent auction, or thinking about becoming a sponsor, hit me up (850.508.8690 or jkutz@theosceola.com). Seriously.
Light hors d’oeuvres will be served with a cash bar for fans to enjoy while socializing, discussing who will emerge at linebacker, and perusing tables filled with FSU silent-auction treasures you won’t want to live without.
You’ll also enjoy meeting some of the student-athletes who work with The Battle’s End and get to hear their stories, their thoughts on spring progress, and just how to pronounce Uiagalelei.
Now that student-athletes can be compensated, universities across the country look to private and well-funded collectives to enable NIL opportunities for student-athletes in all sports. The Battle’s End was founded to build a sustainable, best-in-class NIL operation for Florida State’s student-athletes. Whether you are a fan of NIL or not, you probably realize the Supreme Court has made it a college football reality and a facet each collegiate program must address successfully to compete at an elite level.
“The importance of success in the NIL space is obvious, so it’s critical for all of us to be intentional, and aspirational in our efforts,” FSU Vice President and Athletics Director Michael Alford said. “This is a time of tremendous opportunities for fans to invest in our student-athletes’ personal success and to engage directly with them, in addition to providing unparalleled impact on our performance in all facets of competition.”
Football coach Mike Norvell explains the importance of NIL quite simply. “If you want to support Florida State’s student-athletes, join Battle’s End,” Norvell said.
By NCAA rule, universities cannot fund collectives or compensate student-athletes. National collectives, like The Battle’s End, must be self-sustaining, which for all practical purposes means they must look to supporters and, to the extent they can, corporate partners, to fund NIL compensation.
In my previous life as Senior Vice President of Seminole Boosters, I saw how important the FSU fan base is in donating the money necessary to build facilities, hire and retain coaches, and to balance the athletics budget on an annual basis. While contributions to Seminole Boosters will continue to be priority No. 1, fan funding of the NIL collective, Battle’s End, is also important to compensate FSU’s student-athletes appropriately. This event will help with that funding, while allowing FSU fans to enjoy a fun and informative evening talking about who the likely starters in the secondary will be.
"I can speak for everyone associated with The Battle's End when I say we are very proud of the support we have given Coach Norvell and his staff as they continue to take the program back to national prominence,” said Ingram Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Battle’s End. “Last year’s historic 13-0 campaign reminded the college football world that FSU is an elite program and intends to be a force for many years to come. Our support for FSU athletes is made possible by our members and supporters. The success of events, like this one, provide unique value to the TBE community while fueling our ability to provide championship-caliber support."
Tickets to the event are available now ($40 plus fees) at MoonEvents.com as well as table sponsorships. If you want to become a Battle’s End member, visit BattlesEnd.com. And, once again, for information on sponsorships and the silent auction, call me at 850.508.8690 or jerrykutz939913@gmail.com.
We can talk about the event and who is looking capable of replacing Tatum and Kalen at linebacker.
