If the still-nascent era of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) in college sports has already taught us anything, it’s that big money doesn’t necessarily equate to championships. 

Big money does, however, give you a chance. And it can do so much more. 

Those involved with Florida Victorious, the NIL organization supporting University of Florida student-athletes, emphasize this. They speak of a vision that encompasses downstream benefits to the Gainesville region that fans may not consider, such as economic impact, community service and greater opportunities to engage with athletes. 

Florida Victorious CEO Nate Barbera said he and his six-person staff are working to educate fans, donors and business owners about that broader NIL picture. 

“It’s not a simple conversation,” Barbera said. “It does take time for people to get comfortable with the idea of compensating student-athletes for their name, image and likeness—why you do it, why it’s important, why it helps the University of Florida, how this whole thing plays in concert with everything else that the athletic department has going on. 

“But once people are educated to that, they understand the impact that they can have on so many different aspects of life in Gainesville, and the conversations become a whole lot easier.” 

Florida Victorious was founded in April 2023 by UF alumnus and South Florida business mogul Jose Costa. It absorbed members of the now-defunct Gator Collective NIL organization and was endorsed by another nascent NIL group, the Gator Guard, led by mega-donor Hugh Hathcock, now a member of the Florida Victorious Advisory Board.  

At its core, Florida Victorious exists as an independent fundraising arm of UF athletics, working to raise money and sign Gator athletes to rewarding NIL deals. 

That’s one facet. The other is its not-for-profit Florida Victorious Foundation that coordinates community service activities for its 230+ contracted athletes. Supported organizations include Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Central Florida, Bread of the Mighty Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity of Alachua County and St. Francis House. 

“This is beyond just collecting money,” said Freddie Wehbe, a longtime Gainesville business leader and marketing expert who is advising the Florida Victorious team.  

As of early October, the Florida Victorious Foundation had coordinated nearly 2,200 hours of community service this year, and more than 4,500 since its inception. Sherry Houston, the long-time CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Central Florida, said athletes visit two to three times a month and come in groups of six to eight from the same athletic team, rotating among the sports throughout the year. They prepare meals and desserts for families staying at the house, typically feeding about 100 each visit. 

“To have the athletes in our home interacting with our families has really created a sense of normalcy and joy,” said Houston, who recently transitioned to Santa Fe College to be its chief philanthropy officer. “It’s so fun to watch the camaraderie of these teams who work together, both on the field and on a court and in our kitchen together, and I think it really creates a sense of teamwork in a much different way. 

“Although our families come from all over the world, to still be in the presence of Florida athletes is a really cool thing. Many of them have personal stories about some of their loved ones staying at Ronald McDonald houses.” 

Nothing happens, however, without money. Florida Victorious generates revenue from three sources: memberships, donations and corporate sponsorships. 

Wehbe said garnering support from the Gainesville business community is a primary area of focus. As managing partner of Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille, owner of Wehbe Marketing and former operator of 11 local Domino’s Pizza locations, the UF alumnus knows first-hand the impact on-field success can make, particularly football championships. 

“When I speak to [business leaders], they get it right away,” Wehbe said. “You go back to the days of [Steve] Spurrier and Urban Meyer and things were great. The economy was at the peak for Alachua County. The more people come into town, the more money we bring in. And every business—whether it’s health care, restaurants, banking or real estate—everyone benefits from winning times.” 

When he began working with the Florida Victorious team last fall, Wehbe said the NIL group’s biggest challenge was building name recognition. 

Wehbe made brand awareness a priority. He put together an outdoor advertising campaign early this year with more than 50 billboards across the state. That was followed by Florida Victorious’ title sponsorship of the Orange and Blue Game weekend in April, as the Florida Victorious brand became ubiquitous at UF athletic events. 

Most recently, Florida Victorious took over management of the 50/50 raffle at home football games, with proceeds benefiting the Florida Victorious Foundation. 

“Obviously we’re in a world with college athletics where programs need all the NIL dollars they can get to attract and retain talent, and that talent is going to help us win games,” said Darren McPhail, general manager of Florida Gators Sports Properties, the marketing arm of UF athletics. “It’s a big part of the economic pie for Gainesville and the surrounding area. 

“The more they can do to support Florida Victorious, the more success we’ll have on the field, and the more success local businesses will have in turn. As we move forward, I think you’ll see more and more creative integration in our partnership [with Florida Victorious].” 

As Florida Victorious entered the NIL scene, however, Barbera said some were concerned about a developing sense of competition for donor dollars between Gator Boosters, Florida Victorious and other entities raising money to support UF. 

To address those and other worries, UF Athletic Director Scott Stricklin established regular meetings to coordinate efforts. Representatives from the University Athletic Association, Florida Victorious and Florida Gators Sports Properties discuss topics ranging from NCAA rules compliance to NIL strategy, marketing and more. 

“The Florida Victorious staff works daily in some capacity with various members of our staff and departments,” Stricklin said. “They are fully integrated into our department.” 

As for fundraising, Stricklin said it’s up to fans and donors to choose how to support the Gators, be it through a donation to Gator Boosters to support facility projects and other needs, or a membership with Florida Victorious to support NIL. 

“We really don’t see those as competing interests,” Stricklin said. “There are just different ways to support the program and we appreciate all of our fans who support us.” 

Few can match UF’s financial support. According to findings from 2005 through 2022 by USA Today and the Knight Commission, the Gators ranked No. 4 nationally in total donations with $763 million, trailing only Oregon ($969 million), Texas A&M ($849 million) and Texas ($766 million). Only public universities were included in the findings. 

Furthermore, the Knight Commission study found that programs that receive the most donor funds tend to have a heightened advantage against others through recruiting success, coaching prestige, facility enhancements and other upgrades. 

NIL-enhanced recruiting success is on display at UF in the form of true freshman quarterback D.J. Lagway, who recently moved into the starting role after a season-ending injury to senior Graham Mertz. Lagway, a native of Willis, Texas, has a projected NIL valuation of $1.1 million according to On3, ranking No. 22 among college football players as of mid-October and tops among Gator athletes across all sports. 

Barbera declined to share Florida Victorious financials; as private organizations, NIL collectives are not required to publicly report such information. 

“We believe we’re in the top 10 nationwide in terms of NIL funds raised and deployed to our student-athletes across the 11 sports we work with,” Barbera said. “From a budget perspective, I can tell you that it has grown significantly year over year. We’d like to get as much as we can, but we don’t want it to all be about money. That’s not how we work.” 

Florida Victorious has a strong foundation of fan support, having grown to more than 3,000 members over the past year. Membership levels start at $15 per month and go up to $250, with benefits that range from exclusive content and member-only tailgates at home football games, to VIP events with athletes and coaches and an exclusive annual event with Steve Spurrier and 1996 national championship team members. 

The advisory board includes notable UF alumni, including mega-donors Hathcock and Gary Condron; former football stars Anthony Richardson, Danny Wuerffel and Trey Burton; former basketball star and current SEC Network analyst Patric Young; ESPN and SEC Network host Laura Rutledge; and Chris LaFace, a member of Gator Boosters’ board of directors. 

Their guidance and support will be needed greatly in the year ahead, as the NIL landscape is expected to evolve further in the 2025-26 academic year. 

In May, the NCAA reached a settlement in House v. NCAA that would allow schools to share some $20 million annually in revenue with athletes. Although a judge ordered the parties to “go back to the drawing board” in a Sept. 5 ruling, this “pay-for-play” scenario could eventually ease pressure on Florida Victorious to generate so many dollars. Any funds it raises and distributes to athletes would be on top of what schools pay them.  

Wehbe believes Florida Victorious is well-positioned to handle whatever might come. 

“We’re doing it the right way,” Wehbe said. “It’s a combination of community giving and cause marketing and building money for the Gators. We’re aligned with the university, with the alumni association, with Learfield [Florida Gators Sports Properties], with the Gator Boosters, with the [UF] foundation. 

“We all have our arrows pointing the same way. We don’t compete against each other. We’re here to help each other and understand the big picture.” 

That picture has a deeper meaning than many realize. 

“Whether you like NIL or don’t, it’s here,” Barbera said. “And if it’s going to be here, what better way to use the name, image and likeness of these celebrity athletes than as a force for good in the community. I don’t see a higher use than that. 

“We can’t control outcomes on or off the field, but we can control our piece.”