Make One-Time Contribution Become a Member
Hey 11W community, Aidin here, co-founder of the 1870 Society. I've been a member of 11W for over a decade, posting and reading in the forums.
Let me introduce myself: I'm an entrepreneur from CA, just a regular dude living the suburban life with my wife and two kids. Spent the past 15 years building and growing a tech business. I've been blessed with an opportunity to live out the American dream, and I'm grateful every day for the life I have. After I sold my business, I decided to take some time off to reassess life. So many things one could do. As an avid fan and a surveyor of the college athletic landscape, I was far too familiar with how NIL was changing amateur sports as a whole, but more specifically, I saw how it was affecting Ohio State, mostly not in a positive way. I thought maybe this is an area I can jump in to help. This time last year, when I decided to dabble in this space, I knew nothing about NIL. All I knew was that I was a die-hard Buckeye fan, had some business acumen, and I wanted to be helpful. The fandom is a religion for me. Luckily (or not, haha), I met a few other dedicated Buckeye diehards with similar passions and ambitions to tackle NIL for this amazing university. After a few meetings with the powers that be, we decided to partner up to do something unique and special in the NIL space. The 1870 Society was born.
For better or worse, we three founders have stayed behind the scenes. We're not about fanfare. We just try to get s**t done. We never sought out the limelight or wanted credit. For us, helping our favorite team win was and still is reward enough. Together, we have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into this thing with no intention or aspirations to ever get any of that money out. We just want to win. But this whole thing has been an insane journey, and it's been a grind and a battle. We have put in countless volunteer hours to make Buckeye Nation proud, and we have no regrets. That said, NIL life ain't easy.
But here's the real talk – we're not where we need to be yet. So, we have no choice but to turn to you, Buckeye Nation, the best fanbase in the land, for help. I know some of you are wondering, "Why the fans?" Aren't there a bunch of other super-rich dudes out there that can just write a check and fix this? Well, yes, there is. And while Ohio State as a whole has benefited from the amazing and generous gifts of our illustrious alumni and fellow Ohioans, the level at which we need NIL engagement is still not where we need it to be. And, as of now, per compliance/regulations, the school can't directly do anything either. So, to supplement some of the work that has already been done with donors, corporations, and fans, we are running a signing day crowdsourcing campaign to close out this class.
The crazy thing is that if every unique visitor who visits 11W over the course of the year donated $10, we would have enough money to lock up NIL for the next 5-10 years. Buckeye Nation has always been special. We have the numbers. We just need the willingness to step up. We know that everybody can't help, and we totally and truly respect that. But if you do have the means or the ability to give something, we would be immensely appreciative of your contribution.
We are calling a blitz to win this game. We need to get aggressive, and we need to get this thing closed out. NIL is chaos right now. Recruiting class, the portal, retaining our players. No sugarcoating it; we need your help. Whatever you can give, we will take humbly with immense gratitude and thanks. Every dollar we raise will go towards a student-athlete. PERIOD. You all have my personal assurance and guarantee.
CLICK TO MAKE A ONE-TIME CONTRIBUTION OR BECOMING A MONTHLY MEMBER (which gives you access to a bunch of cool stuff).
GO BUCKS!! O-H
