The collection, in collaboration with Oregon 12 athletes, marks the latest release from Division Street’s “Ducks of a Feather” NFT program.
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Division Street, a venture aimed to help University of Oregon student-athletes create and monetize their personal brands, introduced an upcoming NFT collection called “Visions Of Flight” that will benefit all participating student-athletes via name, image, and likeness, the organization announced Wednesday.
Visions of Flight will operate under Division Street’s Ducks of a Feather NFT platform and is designed by artist Lili Tae in collaboration with basketball player Sedona Prince and 11 other Oregon women athletes: Briana Chacon (Golf), Jadyn Mays (Track and Field), Harper McClain (Cross Country), Terra McGowan (Softball), Blessyn McMorris (Acrobatics and Tumbling), Allison Mulville (Tennis), Gloria Mutiri (Volleyball), Brooke Nunerviller (Beach Volleyball), Te-Hina Paopao (Basketball), Croix Soto (Soccer), and Alyssa Wright (Lacrosse).
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Participating student-athletes will equally share 75% of the NFTs’ revenues, with 25% being retained by Division Street to offset the project’s costs. Additionally, each time a Visions of Flight NFT is sold on a secondary marketplace, a 10% royalty will be placed in a Division Street wallet to benefit Oregon athletics.
Rosemary St.-Clair, Division Street’s CEO, said she was inspired by Oregon women’s basketball legends Prince and Sabrina Ionescu, calling them trailblazers who regularly use their voices and platforms to shift the women’s sports landscape.
“It’s obviously an honor to be involved and recognized, as an inspiration for something like that,” Ionescu told Boardroom. “I have so much love for the University of Oregon and everything that it’s provided me in my four years there and what they are now accomplishing and providing their student-athletes through Division Street and NIL.”
“It speaks a lot about the recruiting and the people we’re trying to bring in,” she said. “It provides this platform for athletes to be able to have from day one, the ability to be able to make money off NIL across all sports, men’s or women’s. Anybody that’s thinking about attending the Oregon athletic program is going to have the upper hand through Division Street.”
Tae said that watching Prince’s instantly viral video from the 2021 NCAA Tournament exposing disparities in facilities and amenities between men’s and women’s basketball players allowed her to remember that it’s okay to speak up for yourself, and that there are allies ready to support you if you do.
“It’s incredibly important to me to use my platform to empower women student-athletes – now and for the next generation,” Prince said. “Being able to collaborate with Lili Tae to bring our voices to life in such an innovative way and benefit all participating women Ducks athletes is an absolute win-win. We couldn’t be more excited about this project.”
As we approach this year’s golden Title IX milestone, Ionescu said it goes to show how women’s sports is valued at Oregon and how it’s positioned its female student-athletes at the forefront of what Division Street is trying to accomplish.
“The women playing and competing aren’t being seen as being on the back burner to men’s football or men’s basketball,” she said. “It’s more about how they can help all student-athletes. I think that goes to show where their values and morals stand.”
The collection will launch on June 30.
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