Ty Frix set out earlier this year to build a computer from scratch to get a powerful platform for playing video games.
former Georgia football Athletes and medical graduates did not anticipate many challenges, but he soon ran into a disability.
Some parts cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than expected.
Why?
The answer was Frix’s entry into the world of cryptocurrencies and ultimately a partnership with a former UGA football player. Aaron Murray, Keith Marshall Brother Trent Frix will launch a “passionate project” to offer benefits to both current University of Georgia football players and fans.
Former Georgia football player announces first NFT collection
Months of learning, brainstorming, and collaboration have created The Players’ Lounge, a digital collaboration space for college fans.
The company will launch an NFT collection called the DGD Mafia designed for the Georgia football community on Sunday, January 9th (the day before the College Football Playoff Championship Game).
Purchasing NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) gives you access to exclusive content and experiences in the real world and digital space.
“We got together and saw this as an opportunity to bring this new technology and asset class to the Georgian football community we all know well,” Marshall said. “The ability to generate excitement within a community centered around a common theme is one of the hallmarks behind the success of the most popular NFT project to date.”
NFTs are similar to baseball cards, but they are digital and ownership is tracked using a blockchain that records transactions and assets within the network. Like the DGD Mafia concept, NFTs are used to organize people within a community for common interests and goals.
The sports landscape is full of NFT examples — Tom Brady has released multiple collections, And Tim Tebow and the University of Florida Campus Legend It was released in September.
What makes the Players Lounge unique is that 50% of the profits are paid to current Georgia players who are affiliated within the NCAA rules.
“The Players Lounge was the first NFT community built by former players and was created to help current and future players join the fan community with support,” said his father Mitch and his brother Trent. Also said Flix, who played with the Bulldog.
Thanks to a series of lucky timing events, the ventures have been partially united.
The NCAA has adopted a policy from July to allow players to make money from name, image and portrait approval.
“The new NIL rules are a bit salty if I wish I were out during play,” said Murray, a CBS broadcaster who holds SEC records for career passyards and touchdowns. “I think it’s great because I know what these kids are experiencing and how difficult it is. You give up a lot to do these. I love the fact that children have the opportunity to make some money, and we love the fact that they offer another way to make money. “
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Frix was looking for computer parts as college athletes agreed to the first approval deal this summer. He learned that prices were exorbitantly high due to supply shortages, partly due to the influx of users into the crypto space, which has pushed up costs.
Frix went into exploration mode and finally landed on an NFT.
“I’m starting to feel that this is a way to connect with today’s athletes and the fan base of the Digital Universe and act as an access token to this world,” Frix said.
Frix brought his ideas to Marshall, who holds a degree in finance from UGA’s Terry College of Business and currently holds an MBA from Emory University.
He and Flix spoke the same language, as some of Marshall’s recent classes covered alternative assets.
“In my frontier asset class, I gave some lectures to learn from and discuss the core characteristics of successful NFT projects from market leaders in NFT space,” said one of the highest-rated new hires in Georgia football history. Marshall, who scored 15 points by himself, said. “I understood both the NFT market and the Georgia football community, so when Ty called, I immediately found the attraction of connecting the two.”
Also in the fall, a company suggested Murray start his personal NFT collection, which he jumped into insights. He loved the concept and was on the verge of signing a deal when Frix reached out.
“I would rather do it with my people, and have some fun with it,” Murray said. “I’ve seen other companies come out and try to collaborate with college players. We’re trying to be a little different in the sense that we’re giving back more money to our players. think.”
Soon Frix and Company evolved ideas into business plans such as card artwork, perks for buyers such as autographed football and digital signatures for rare versions of NFT cards, and recommended pitches for players. Gig Labs, a front-line NFT space company with partnerships with CNN, University of Miami and NASCAR, agreed earlier this month to help make The Players’ Lounge a reality.
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“The reliability of partnering with companies like GigLabs and the expertise they provide has been very helpful in refining and implementing our vision,” Marshall said.
The DGD Mafia aims to create a community for former, current and future players and fans.
From Flix’s point of view, the Players Lounge needs to open communication and form a relationship between former and current players and fans, a group of people who are enthusiastic about Georgia football who wants the bulldog to win. .. Since the end of his play day in 2012, Frix has played a leading role in The Lettermen’s Club, especially to promote more interaction and profits between players in the era of Mark Richt and Kirby Smart. Say there is something to do.
The connection is what Frix has been sparking for a long time. Marshall says he was one of the first UGA teammates he met when he arrived in Athens in 2012 when Flix offered to ride on campus for the first day. Flix helped Murray in a biology class when he was in the first grade, and the two later became roommates. The trio played with Georgia’s SEC-East winning team in 2012.
“We’ve all been really, really close since college,” Murray said.
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Over the years, Frix and Marshall often kept in touch to discuss startups and business concepts. Murray and Flix send text messages almost every day in group text with their ex-teammates.
Building these types of relationships among all segments of the Georgia football community is all agreed and is the primary goal of The Players’ Lounge.
“As a player, and now as a fan, we’ve stepped on both sides of the field, so this is exciting because it allows us all to be part of a community we miss very much,” Frix said. I did. “We want to contribute to that community. I think this venture is the best way to do that.”
