How the Classic City Collective assists UGA in NIL, 'the next arms race'
By: Jason Butt - UGASports.comThe number 21 holds great historical significance at Georgia. There are 21 sports offered by the athletics program. Frank Sinkwich, Georgia’s first of two Heisman Trophy winners and one of four football players to have his jersey retired, wore No. 21.
Georgia’s greatest basketball player, Dominique Wilkins, lit up Stegeman Coliseum in his No. 21 jersey, which is also retired.
Then, of course, the Georgia football team won its third national championship at the conclusion of the 2021 season.
This number means a lot to Georgia and its devoted fan base.
Matt Hibbs, founder of the Classic City Collective, wanted to use the meaningful number for a new campaign to raise money to assist Georgia players in their name, image, and likeness (NIL) efforts.
This is how the 21 Club was born.
The 21 Club invites Georgia fans to set up a monthly $21 donation via the Classic City Collective’s website, with the money furthering NIL opportunities for UGA athletes. In return, fans will receive exclusive access to autographed memorabilia auctions and the first option to attend live events throughout the year.
Hibbs noted the number is designed to attract a large number of small donations.
“If we had half the capacity of Sanford Stadium give us $21, we’d have $900,000 for athletes,” Hibbs said. “We want to push that you may not think this is a lot, but there is a lot of power in numbers. We have a passionate fan base, obviously. This is the future. This is the next arms race. This is what we have to do to compete. We’re not going out there and recklessly spending it. It’s calculated in what we’re doing, but we have to have the money there. We have to be able to present opportunities. We have to be able to show we are active in NIL, and this is a great way for the fan base to get involved.”
What is the Classic City Collective?
Until last October, Hibbs was in charge of overseeing compliance for the Georgia football program. In this role, he formed a close bond with head coach Kirby Smart and developed a great relationship with athletics director Josh Brooks.Even so, he wanted to take the challenge of being the director of Barstool Athletes, Barstool Sports’ NIL division. However, around this same time, the first couple of college collectives tasked with NIL deals started to pop up. Hibbs began to wonder when Georgia would get in this space.
While none of his Georgia contacts were sure if the program would start one, he ran Barstool’s athlete division from Athens, working remotely instead of moving his family to New York. Hibbs quickly learned it was difficult to do this job without in-person contact. In the process, he began to think he should start Georgia’s collective, a one-stop shop to manage the college athletes’ NIL deals.
Following national signing day in December, it was evident how important these collectives were going to be. By February, Hibbs was leading the Classic City Collective.
“Everything started going into hyperdrive after signing day, when people saw the success of organized NIL groups,” Hibbs said. “I think that’s when the whole country realized we have to do this.”
Here’s how the collective works:
The Classic City Collective serves as an intermediary for players and partners wishing to do NIL deals. For instance, all Georgia athletes who sign up to the collective will have access to partner with businesses seeking players to represent their brands. In some cases, a company may request a specific player. In others, a company may want a number of players on a first-come, first-serve basis. In the latter case, Hibbs will send a mass message and those who respond first will get the NIL opportunity.
It’s important to note that the Classic City Collective is not an arm of the university or its athletics program. It’s an independent LLC that receives no funding from UGA. However, Hibbs is allowed to communicate with Smart to ensure the collective is working in the program’s best interests. This has included Hibbs asking Smart which players may need some opportunities to earn some extra money.
“I’ve asked, ‘Have any of the players come to you and say they sent their money to their parents? Do they need extra money?’ I’d like to help those people out first,” Hibbs said. “Stetson (Bennett) and Brock (Bowers), those guys have agents working on their behalf. Not everybody has that. I want to help the players who need it.”
As for recruiting, the Classic City Collective has a central hub that the coaches are able to use to show recruits what kind of NIL deals players are getting. The coaches are allowed to tell recruits how much money current players have earned and what kind of opportunities are available. However, the coaches cannot say these opportunities are guaranteed to the recruits themselves or have them sign any contracts.
“We are 100 percent aligned. Kirby and I, Josh Brooks and the athletic department,” Hibbs said. “I worked there, they trust me. They understand I am not going to put them in a bad position. I’m not putting them behind the eight-ball. That has allowed us a lot more flexibility. That has allowed us to get further down this road quickly because of those relationships. I’m very transparent with everyone with what we’re doing.”
Classic City Collective’s future
As someone who worked previously in compliance, Hibbs admitted it was tough to transition from a system where athletes couldn’t technically receive a free beverage to signing million-dollar NIL deals. Even so, it didn’t take long to realize how important this avenue will be to the health and stability of all college football programs.For now, the early capital raised to fund this endeavor has come from some of Georgia’s top donors. However, Hibbs knows this is a well that could dry over time.
To ensure its longevity, Hibbs said the Classic City Collective needs multiple revenue streams.
The next step for the Classic City Collective is to offer a subscription service for exclusive content and access to Georgia’s athletes.
“We’ll have various media streams. I don’t want to get into too much detail about it until it’s ready to roll, but we’ll have some content streams, some subscription-based deals to get early access to player autographs, player merchandise, appearances, things like that–where if you pay you get first bite out of the apple,” Hibbs said. “We’ll have a couple of different streams like that. And then there are a few more innovative concepts that will be coming out in a month that I think people will be taking advantage of. We ultimately want this to be a fan-driven business. We want to rely on that passion, and that’s the best way to do it, to provide them something unique and something they can’t get anywhere else.”
As Hibbs looks to diversify the Classic City Collective, he’s calling on the Georgia faithful to be a part of something important in its infancy. He believes the 21 Club can have a tangible effect on Georgia’s athletes, present and future, when it comes to access to NIL deals.
As Hibbs put it, this is the perfect time for fans to assist the Classic City Collective, and Georgia, at a grassroots level.
“This is their opportunity. This is their chance to give whatever they can give,” Hibbs said. “If it’s only $21 and that’s all they ever do, that’s great. You’re doing something to help. You don’t have to love NIL, you just have to love Georgia. We just have to adapt. and we have to dominate this space. But we need everyone’s help to do that.”
