With $2.1 million donated in just three days, Lane Kiffin praises Grove Collective success: ‘Without that, we’re not going anywhere’
OXFORD, Miss. — Jaxson Dart, Quinshon Judkins, Malik Heath, Zach Evans, Ayden Williams, Suntarine Perkins, Kamarion Franklin…just some of the names on an elite list of current, former and future Rebels that exists in large part possible because of The Grove Collective, the official collective at Ole Miss that has been called “…one of the most ambitious Name Image and Likeness (NIL) programs in college football.”
The Grove Collective of Ole Miss was founded at the end of 2021, with former Rebel football player Walker Jones becoming the Executive Director in the fall of 2022. He and his staff quickly went to work raising money and securing deals with over 50 local and national brands and ensuring a contract with every single student-athlete at Ole Miss.
A Visit with Walker Jones: NIL and The Grove Collective’s Journey to Streamline the Process | via @DonnaSpraberyhttps://t.co/Nlv2ayE6Fe @walkerj29 @grovecollectnil @TheRebelWalk #NIL
— NIL Newsstand (@NILNewsstand) October 21, 2022
While the monies in the Grove Collective are at an all-time high right now, a large portion of the group’s initial success came last fall, ironically, from the rumors of Lane Kiffin possibly taking the Auburn head coaching job. Ole Miss fans used the scare of Kiffin’s potential departure to the Plains as a rally cry and soon hit the Grove Collective’s annual goal of $10 million early in November, 2023.
After seeing that quick success in November, it didn’t take long before Jones and Ole Miss came up with some unique fundraising ideas.
Grove Collection Day a Huge Success
On Monday, Grove Collection Day was introduced to Ole Miss and the Oxford community, kicking off what the collective hopes is a week — and more — of giving.
It couldn’t have come at a better time as excitement in the fan base is at an all-time high after the verbal commitment of Lake Cormorant, Miss. 5-star Kamarion Franklin on August 19.
The Grove Collection Day saw Ole Miss athletes and coaches calling out to fans around the country to donate what they could. Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill, Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter, and several Ole Miss coaches were interviewed on the Ole Miss Athletics YouTube channel with free access to the public.
At the end of the day, the collective earned upwards of a whopping $1.7 million. By Wednesday, that was up to $2.1 million, and the collective has a full week planned with strategies to increase funding even more. Specifically, businesses around Oxford have been asked to donate a percentage of their profits to the collective for the week of August 21-28.
“The businesses in Oxford are always looking for an opportunity to partner with Ole Miss,” Mayor Tannehill explained. “I think this is the obvious way for our businesses to say thank you for what the university brings to our community all year long through different sporting events.”
$2.1 MIL ➡️ Road to $3 Million… Let’s go Rebel Nation! pic.twitter.com/Ykz775Dycs
— The Grove Collective (@grovecollectnil) August 23, 2023
The final twist of Collective Week offers exciting perks for fans. Jones and his staff have announced several different incentives each day for those who refer the most members, upgrade their membership, or simply make a one-time donation of $100 or more. These involve sideline passes to a game, a private tour of the Manning Center, and more.
Grove Collection Week: Thursday
Level up your membership and your wardrobe with the chance to cop the first pair of the exclusive @Lane_Kiffin sneakers. pic.twitter.com/panb2EHFsR
— The Grove Collective (@grovecollectnil) August 21, 2023
Coach Kiffin grateful for Grove Collective
The creativity and excitement the Grove Collective has brought to Oxford has given Coach Kiffin a strong foundation looking into the future of his football program.
“You guys know from covering me that I’m very real on the good, bad, and ugly,” Kiffin began in his Tuesday press conference. “It’s been awesome what the collective has done, what Walker Jones has done, and what the donors have done,” Kiffin said.
“I said it yesterday but without that, we’re not going anywhere. I don’t care how great of assistant coaches you hire, who your head coach is, any of that. You don’t have this, like you see in professional sports where you don’t have resources, you don’t win. That’s why I took a lot of heat a couple of years ago when I said NIL and getting a collective done right and funded properly is way more important than anything else nowadays. It is. It’s more important than the size of the weight rooms, the size of stadiums, and how many Heisman trophies you have. I don’t think I’m a wizard, but if you didn’t see that coming – that 17, 18-year-olds are going to make decisions once salaries were included – that was going to be the number one factor then you missed the boat on that. Now we’re seeing it and everyone is seeing it and talking about it. I’ve been honest for a couple of years and to see our fans and donors respond like that is awesome because I’m just telling you that we wouldn’t go anywhere and you would not be enjoying going to games if this wasn’t in place.”
Coach Lane Kiffin on the importance of raising NIL funds
With a deep and talented roster this season, thanks in very large part to the Grove Collective and Ole Miss supporters who have contributed, Rebel fans should enjoy going to many games this season.
Zach Moreth
Zach is a freshman at Ole Miss and is studying Sports Administration. Outside of watching and playing sports, he enjoys spending time with his loved ones and being active. I’m excited to help cover our amazing Ole Miss sports teams!
