Following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) change of policy in June of 2021 allowing student athletes to be compensated for the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL), the State of Mississippi enacted its first NIL law. The law, for the first time, created an opportunity for Alcorn State University athletes to leverage their marketability for financial gain. In April 2022, to be closer in line with the laws in surrounding states, Mississippi’s NIL law was amended to provide that individuals or entities may pool their resources to obtain and utilize the publicity rights of student athletes. 

The 1871 Collective was formed in December of 2022 to ensure that Alcorn State University athletes had  a mechanism to be fairly compensated for their NIL rights and that NIL was done in accordance with NCAA policy and Mississippi law. The 1871 Collective was founded on the principle of Ujima which loosely translated means collective work and responsibility. Working together we will be able to provide Alcorn State University student athletes with NIL opportunities commensurate with other regional institutions.