EMEnRose Magazine

Former members of the Villanova Wildcats family and community leaders in the Philadelphia area have partnered with Blueprint Sports, the industry leader in full-service Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collectives, to unveil Friends of Nova — the first NIL collective supporting men's basketball student-athletes at Villanova University. As one of the nation's premier basketball programs, the Villanova Wildcats have won the NCAA D-1 National Championships three times, most recently in 2016 and 2018. 

Friends of Nova is spearheaded by Randy Foye and Ashley Howard, two legacy members and well-known figures of the Villanova men's basketball family. Both having deep ties to Villanova University's athletics program, Howard and Foye will serve as co-executive directors of the Friends of Nova collective. Howard previously served as the assistant coach for Villanova University's men's basketball team from 2013 to 2018 under then-Head Coach Jay Wright. Foye played on Villanova University's men's basketball team from 2002 to 2006, before being drafted in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft and beginning his professional basketball career.

"Playing basketball at Villanova University was the honor of a lifetime and this opportunity to kick off Friends of Nova really means a lot to me," said Foye. "We are thrilled to give back and work hand in hand with supporters, fans, community members and alumni to build something meaningful and open doors to new possibilities for future generations of student-athletes."

Local and national businesses, as well as community supporters, have multiple options to engage with Villanova student-athletes. Friends of Nova builds partnerships between businesses, brands, and student-athletes for marketing opportunities, including online influencer campaigns, local appearances, youth sports coaching, speaking engagements, and more. Additionally, tax-deductible contributions can also be made through the BPS Foundation, a 501(c)(3) partner organization formed to educate, encourage, and assist student-athletes in their efforts to engage with the local community through charitable causes. 

"Friends of Nova will allow us to help provide opportunities for student-athletes to not only capitalize on their name, image and likeness, but connect with their community and learn about financial literacy," said Howard. "I look forward to spearheading this initiative alongside Randy to help support our Wildcat family and help the Villanova community be a part of something bigger."

For more information, visit friendsofnova.com and follow @FriendsofNova on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

Media Contact:
For "Friends of Nova" and Blueprint Sports 
The Ferraro Group
Halley Metcalfe 
(702) 969-9004 / [email protected]