The Upper Deck Company Invests in Collegiate-Focused Technology Start-Up Spry

Leading Sports Memorabilia and Collectible Company Supports Technology Platform That Helps Institutions Educate, Protect and Empower Student Athletes

News provided by

Upper Deck

Jun 15, 2021, 10:00 ET

CARLSBAD, Calif., June 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Upper Deck, the worldwide leader in authentic sports and entertainment memorabilia and premium collectibles, today announced their investment in Spry, a third-party technical solution explicitly developed to help collegiate compliance directors, athletic department staff and student-athletes navigate the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) landscape.

Designed to assist users with NCAA rules and regulations compliance, Spry is a one-step tool that allows student-athletes to disclose business opportunities in a transparent way to help their institution comply with NIL regulations. The platform also enables compliance departments to identify potential conflicts of interest between existing institutional contracts and student-athlete opportunities.

Spry was founded by Lyle Adams, a Wake Forest graduate and member of the 2007 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship team. In 2012, as one of the original employees at Uber, Lyle launched Analytics Bootcamp, an analytic platform for data consumers, and he also built an internal SQL training platform. With a passion for technology and helping student athletes, Lyle developed Spry with the goal to create an innovative tool that makes handling college athlete business opportunities a seamless process.

"As Upper Deck continues to be an innovator within the sports space, we are excited to invest in a like-minded brand like Spry that is looking to transform the collegiate arm of the industry," said Jason Masherah, President at Upper Deck. "I was impressed with Lyle's passion as a former athlete to create software that can help educate, support and create opportunities for student-athletes, while at the same time help schools navigate through compliance and NIL issues. With years of experience handling athlete deals, we hope to share our corporate insight with Spry and guide them with a professional perspective."

Spry's compliance platform was built to help athletic departments educate, protect and empower their student-athletes. Additional key benefits include:

Educational Resources
Ensure student-athletes have the proper resources (financial literacy, legal advice, tax planning, etc.) to responsibly manage NIL opportunities.
Cost Savings
Enhanced efficiency in NIL compliance leads to department-wide cost savings. Automation of administrative tasks makes Spry a much less expensive alternative to hiring additional staff.
Recruiting Benefits
Empower student-athletes with the tools and resources for a richer future. Spry's platform was designed by a former student athlete who understands the experience and needs.
Transparency
Disclosure oversight, conflict identification, and regulation compliance enables visibility into prospective NIL opportunities. Cross-functional features encourage institutional control, risk management, and help mitigate legal liability.

Upper Deck will be participating in and assisting Spry's Advisory Board, bringing years of experience in customer relationship management and business development to help guide Spry as they implement their NIL technology platform.

To learn more about Spry, please visit https://spry.so.

About Spry
Spry Payment Systems, Inc. (Spry) is a third-party technology solution designed to navigate the rapidly changing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) landscape. With a focus on more than just connecting student-athletes with sponsors and brands, the Spry system helps member institutions and student-athletes stay compliant with NCAA rules while helping student-athletes maximize their opportunities.

Connect with Spry on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Upper Deck
Upper Deck, the worldwide leader in authentic sports memorabilia and premium collectibles, is a long-standing supporter of the LeBron James Family Foundation, as well as many other charitable giving programs. The company has been providing authentic and innovative memorabilia for the world's greatest athletes for over 25 years, including exclusive company spokespeople Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James, Wayne Gretzky, Connor McDavid, Patrick Roy, and Ben Simmons.

SOURCE Upper Deck