Gene Smith Announces The 1870 Society as Ohio State Football's PREMIER NIL Collective

The Ohio State name, image and likeness market was restructured this week.

On Thursday, Gene Smith announced that The 1870 Society will be the premier NIL collective for the Ohio State football program.

“It’s my pleasure to introduce The 1870 Society as the premier NIL collective for Ohio State football,” Smith said in the video. “The 1870 Society is dedicated to creating NIL success for our student-athletes through education, empowerment, business opportunities and community engagement, all while meeting the high expectations of integrity and compliance we have always maintained.

"This is a call to action for Buckeyes everywhere. The 1870 Society provides exclusive access to unique content and experiences you won't find anywhere else."

Smith's description of The 1870 Society as Ohio State football's "premier NIL collective" is one of the first times a collective has earned such a moniker.

For as little as $1.99 a month, you can become a member of The 1870 Society and gain access to The Ryan Day Podcast. Each of The 1870 Society’s nine membership tiers, based on monthly contributions, comes with additional perks ranging from an authentic Buckeye Leaf sticker and a photo autographed by a player to tickets and pregame field access to an Ohio State football game and tickets to a “Heisman Lunch” featuring past Ohio State Heisman Trophy winners.