Empowering Student-Athletes

One Maryland Collective is the official Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) collaboration that serves student-athletes at the University of Maryland. The collective connects fans, alumni, businesses and charities with student-athletes and harvests the power of the university to create a wealth of opportunities for them to earn compensation while furthering professional and personal development. 

One Maryland Collective is one of 27 collectives operated by Blueprint Sports at various schools of all different sizes across the country. Blueprint Sports was founded in 2020 and has quickly become a pioneering force in NIL opportunities. Maryland announced the creation of One Maryland Collective in September 2023, and it has worked closely with Blueprint Sports and other partners to evolve with the growing NIL landscape.

Chris Weiner, Executive Director for One Maryland Collective, is responsible for overseeing the diverse portfolio of NIL efforts benefitting 20 sports and over 500 student-athletes at the University of Maryland. He explains that One Maryland Collective wants to be a leader in the NIL space. 

“What we're trying to build with the collective is really be there to connect the fans, alumni, businesses and community partners with all these student-athletes and harness that power of the University of Maryland,” Weiner said. “It gives our supporters the opportunity to connect with our teams through all these different sorts of engagements that we do out in the community. We're trying to build a powerful platform to help raise the storytelling that we do as a university and from an athletic standpoint.”

The team behind One Maryland Collective has close-knit ties to the University of Maryland and are passionate individuals who are committed to the collective’s mission. Weiner received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Maryland, displaying the Maryland pride that is often spoken of. 

Weiner spent the last 15 years working in several different professional sports realms in various capacities, most recently serving as the Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships for the Washington Nationals. He and his team joined the collective in January and saw it as an opportunity to grow his expertise and the One Maryland Collective brand. Doing it for his alma mater, the place that provided him with so much during his professional and educational career, was an added perk. Weiner is now helping give back to current and future Terrapin student-athletes.

Other team members of One Maryland Collective include Director of Operations Brian Kubasik and Development and Sales Manager Dan Crowley. Kubasik is a lifelong Terp who has been working for Maryland Athletics in different capacities for the last 10 years going back to his days as a student. He’s even seen Maryland student-athletes take home seven national championships and 49 Big Ten titles throughout his time working with the Terps.

Crowley has been involved in supporting student-athletes since the inception of NIL. Most recently, he served as the Executive Vice President of The Best Is Ahead Foundation, a previous NIL collective supporting Maryland football. He even played football at Towson University with head coach Michael Locksley in 1991 before holding the title of Senior Associate Director of Athletics for the Tigers. 

Weiner says supporting One Maryland Collective and its initiative is important for several reasons. 

“It's going to provide athletic programs with the resources necessary to compete at the highest levels on the fields, courts and pitches,” Weiner said. “Supporting our student-athletes and engaging in NIL opportunities is really important because it's going to promote equity and autonomy, and we're empowering student-athletes to take advantage and monetize their personal brands. We're addressing opportunities for them in the collegiate sports landscape and providing opportunities for financial stability, personal growth and community engagement.”

People can support One Maryland Collective in many ways. The collective is something that is promoted throughout the Maryland sports seasons and simply helping spread awareness about its mission and the events it holds helps engage a community that is vital to the overall success of the collective.   

Another way to support is through financial contributions to fund the program and its initiative to help empower student-athletes. One Maryland Collective offers four different memberships with each level providing something that fits the wants and needs of supporters. They entail different levels of budgets and support for the collective.  

Being at the forefront of the changing landscape of NIL is important to One Maryland Collective. The collective strives to create something that other programs look at and try to emulate.  

“NIL provides opportunities for student-athletes to gain financial independence, develop entrepreneurial skills, provide networking opportunities and the ability to engage and enhance the communities in which they're living,” Weiner said. “Engaging with NIL can really help to boost the student-athlete's personal brand and create a path for them for future career opportunities that are beyond the sport in which they play.”

Maryland basketball is hosting a reunion of the 2004 ACC Championship team during its game at XFINITY Center against Illinois on Feb. 17. One Maryland Collective created a limited-edition collectible to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the championship team. The collectible is both physical and digital and it’s the first of its kind.  

Those who purchase the “Supporter Pass” collectible add-on will receive an acrylic commemorative ticket with a link to a special video recapping the magical run in 2004. Those who purchase the “Champion Pass” will receive the ticket and get the opportunity to take a picture on the court after the game with the championship trophy.

“It's a way to kind of tie in the past and the present, and the proceeds that are collected from this particular commemorative ticket are going to go back to supporting One Maryland Collective initiatives and the student-athletes,” Weiner said. “It's really a unique opportunity for our fans to support our cause while also being able to engage with a piece of Maryland sports history.”

One Maryland Collective is also auctioning three 1970s era autographed throwback basketball jerseys. The jerseys are the ones worn by the Terps on Jan. 21 against Michigan State and are signed by one of three Terps legends including Buck Williams, Len Elmore and Tom McMillen. 

Proceeds will go to One Maryland Collective, supporting its effort to empower Terrapin student-athletes.