BYU announces joint athletic department and NIL collaboration with NFT marketplace | News, sports, jobs

Looking for more ways to support BYU athletics, but don’t have a business or a huge amount of resources?

Or maybe you want something unique when it comes to Cougars that you will enjoy owning, something that has a special meaning to you.

Either way, the new partnership between BYU athletics, Cougar players and Web3 developer Ocavu could provide the opportunities you’ve been looking for.

These groups joined together to launch CougsRise.com, what they call “the world’s largest fan engagement platform that allows fans to support athletes through NFT experiences.”

“This has been in the works for several months and has gone through many twists and turns along the way,” Casey Stauffer, BYU assistant athletic director for corporate sponsorships, said during a press conference Tuesday. “But we’re finally here. What it really is is an experience platform that we’ve developed over time to not only support our student-athletes but also the athletic department in a very compliant way. The marketplace will be able to offer our fans experiences that are driven by the utility of owning these units in partnership with Ocavu.”

BYU freshman kicker Cash Peterman was the official spokesman for the players at the press conference and recalled the early meetings with Ocavu to discuss the NFT market idea.

“We got into the team room and they explained a lot about it,” Peterman said. “Everyone was super excited because they explained that all we had to do was do what we love, play football and be good at it, which was different from what we often hear with NILs. But after the meeting, everyone said, what is an NFT? What’s Web3? What’s all that?”

Peterman started working with Ocavu and understood some of the details behind the marketplace concept.

“It’s amazing because we’re putting BYU on a different path than where we basically have our own trading cards and we can interact with fans,” Peterman said. “That’s what it’s really about, about players meeting fans and enjoying the game, just engaging with our community and those around us. It’s a great, great opportunity to go out there and meet all the fans and interact with them.”

Jon Cheney, a BYU graduate and CEO of Ocavu, explained that the current rollout of the first CougsRise.com marketplace focuses on what they call three aspects of Cougar football: Relics (photos of trophies or other memorabilia), Moments ( video clips of memorable plays), and Athlete Limited Editions (special opportunities with players and coaches).

“Ultimately, you can come to the market to buy, trade and sell NFTs,” Cheney said. “Other platforms do this, but often it’s just a speculation game. That’s not what we’re about, and I don’t think that’s what BYU is about. It’s experiences that matter.”

Ocavu has a corporate sponsorship with BYU and NIL contracts with many Cougar athletes, giving it the ability to potentially benefit each group in different ways.

“Ocavu has inventory assets that they have as part of the corporate sponsorship in that we’ve given them the right to use the brands and logos, which is an important part of them being able to act as an agency of sorts for the student-athletes,” Stauffer said. “Now the company can sign these student-athletes to NIL deals as a third party. Ocavu is kind of a clearinghouse, so we’re not going against any NCAA guidelines.”

Peterman said he believes there are many long-term potential benefits of what the marketplace could become.

“I think the sky’s the limit with this,” Peterman said. “As much effort as we put into it, we get out of it. So if the players keep going like they already have in the dressing room, they know this is going to be here. They know that if there are moments that Tyler Allgeier’s hitting from last year is set up, not only does he benefit, but the whole team as well. As much as we put in, we’re probably going to get out of it, and I think these guys love that.”

While the initial launch is focused on football, the goal is for the marketplace to expand to include all BYU sports and as many athletes as decide to get involved. It’s still early in the process, but Cheney and Stauffer both expressed optimism about how many opportunities may be available in the future.

To explore the current marketplace and see what’s available, go to

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