Candy Digital’s next Sweet Futures NFT release includes two drops featuring 17 college football stars, with the second boasting Braelon Allen, Sam Hartman, JT Daniels, and Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry.
Digital collectibles company Candy Digital is gearing up to release the next class of athletes for its name, image, and likeness (NIL) vertical for amateur athletes, Candy Sweet Futures, Boardroom can exclusively reveal.
The new collection highlights college football athletes and gives fans new ways to connect with their favorite up-and-coming players. “ICON” is the term Candy Digital coined to describe these particular NFTs, which include three rarity levels: Core, Rare, and Legendary.
The Sweet Futures Class of 2022 series features 17 college football players across two releases. The first drop on Thursday, Sept. 29, includes:
- Texas Longhorns RB Bijan Robinson
- Maryland Terrapins QB Taulia Tagovailoa
- Clemson Tigers QB DJ Uiagalelei
- North Carolina Tar Heels WR Josh Downs
- Arkansas Razorbacks WR Jadon Haselwood
- Georgia Bulldogs LB Nolan Smith
- Oregon Ducks QB Bo Nix
- LSU Tigers WR Jack Bech
“We’re really lucky to have an awesome internal creative team. All of the design and asset creation is done in-house,” Ben Gedeon, one of the leads on Sweet Futures, told Boardroom. “With all of our product lines, it’s the quality that really pops out. We’re super proud of these assets.”
Details on the New Collection
Candy Digital is offering two different ways for fans to purchase NFTs. Fans can buy a “Mystery Pack” for $20, which includes one ICON selected at random. For $125, fans can purchase the 7-ICON Pack and get seven random ICONs, including a Rare version.
When selecting athletes, Gedeon said Candy Digital looks for premiere players in markets with deep fandom. This next drop is Sweet Futures’ third evolution of college-based NFTs following two releases in the past year.
“This program is so interesting and intriguing because college fandom is so deeply ingrained in football culture. That goes for fans, alums, and locals,” Gedeon said. “We really believe there will be increased engagement and more connection each evolution.”
The second drop is set for Thursday, Oct. 13. It will feature nine college athletes:
- Wisconsin Badgers RB Braelon Allen
- West Virginia Mountaineers QB JT Daniels
- Alabama Crimson Tide DB Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry
- Alabama Crimson Tide DB Malachi Moore
- Boston College Eagles WR Zay Flowers
- LSU Tigers DB Sevyn Banks
- Florida State Seminoles WR Mycah Pittman
- Oregon Ducks LB Noah Sewell
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons QB Sam Hartman
Post-drop engagement is essential for Candy Digital, so the company is hosting a few challenges and sweepstakes throughout the fall.
After the initial releases, fans can list, buy, and sell ICONs exclusively on Candy Digital’s secondary marketplace.
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Gedeon’s Work With Candy Digital
Gedeon played football at the University of Michigan before spending a few years with the Minnesota Vikings. When his time playing was over, Gedeon was eager to get in business with a company working at the intersection of sports and technology. He joined Candy Digital’s business development team about a year ago and has focused on expanding Sweet Futures.
“The idea of joining an NFT company creating an asset class in a marketplace that never existed was really intriguing to me,” Gedeon said.
Despite not being able to experience the NIL revolution firsthand, Gedeon is leveraging all of his athletic expertise to attract fans to Sweet Futures. Here and now, he’s most excited to see how eager athletes will engage with their fans in new ways.
“At some level, I’ve been in their shoes and understand where they’re at,” Gedeon said about college athletes tapping into NIL today. “I can relate since I’ve been in similar situations before.”
Aside from football and basketball, Gedeon sees Sweet Futures expanding to include NFTs across more sports. Web3 has proven that we can’t always predict tech market trends, but Gedeon is confident Candy Digital’s Sweet Futures vertical is here to stay.
“Our confidence in the space hasn’t wavered. Sports fandom is ingrained in the cultures, and we’re just expanding on existing behavior. This behavior is not going away regardless of market conditions,” Gedeon said about the unpredictable crypto market. “We’ll still be here, and we’ll be building in a decade.”
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