Degree, Pringles, General Motors, and More Invest in NIL Deals for March Madness 2023

Source: Buick

It's that time of year again! March Madness is in full swing, and the annual college basketball tournament promises to be as thrilling as ever.

Last year marked the first time that college athletes could enter into name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals for the second biggest sporting event of the year, behind the Super Bowl. Brands such as Bose, Dollar Shave Club, Outback Steak House, and Wingstop provided a glance at the potential of NIL during March Madness.

As the second half of the first-round games kick off later today, here is a look at some of the key themes amongst NIL deals this year.

Brands Keep It Going

Brands that have already formed partnerships with student-athletes are continuing to work with them for March Madness. Degree, for example, is expanding its #BreakingLimits team by collaborating with NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo for The Degree® Walk-On program. This program honors walk-on student-athletes, including UCONN’s Andre Johnson Jr. and Duke University’s Spencer Hubbard. Athletes will receive $25,000 to go towards the costs and living expenses for one year of college, along with mentorship.

Non-alcoholic craft beer manufacturer Athletic Brewing added three more players to its growing list of NIL partnerships with the University of Houston’s Marcus Sasser, the University of Texas’s Rori Harmon, and the University of Southern California’s Boogie Ellis. These partnerships are part of “Fit For All Times,” a campaign the brand launched this past fall, which focuses on athletes highlighting how they enjoy non-alcoholic beers while performing their best.

Other brands include Beats By Dre, Under Armour, Crocs, and Dunkin'.

NIL First Timers Make Their Debut

Pringles is looking to make a mark with its first national NIL campaign. The Kellogg’s brand signed Gonzaga University’s Drew Timme, Duke University’s Dariq Whitehead, and Virginia University’s Ben Vander for the Pringles March Mustache Collection. Each player will have a limited edition can with their face on it, featuring their unique mustache, with each shared via Instagram Reels. There is also a social media contest tied in, with fans having the opportunity to win the collection by showcasing their own tournament-inspired real or fake mustache in an Instagram post.

Goldman Sachs is also making its foray into the NIL space this month. The financial institution tapped the University of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and the University of North Carolina’s Caleb Love for a commercial to promote its 10,000 Small Businesses initiative, which advocates for the reauthorization of the Small Business Administration.

Tournament Sponsors Get In on the Action

Long-time NCAA partner General Motors launched the “See Her Greatness” campaign for Buick, spotlighting five of the top women’s basketball players, including University of South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, UCONN’s Azzi Fudd, and UCLA’s Kiki Rice. Aimed at increasing women’s visibility in sports and supporting initiatives that drive equity and inclusion, the campaign also supports Women’s History Month. Athletes shared inspiring videos across Instagram about their love for basketball and are featured on the brand’s website.

LG Electronics, who is a third-year sponsor of the NCAA is partnering with both men and women players like Louisiana State University’s Flau’ Jae Johnson and Indiana University’s Trayce Jackson-Davis. With the “Game 4 Good” campaign, athletes will be featured in brand video content that promotes the importance of mental well-being. LG is also donating $10,000 to a charity of choice for each athlete.

Lastly, Great Clips, who signed a multi-year deal in 2020 to be the Official Hair Salon of March Madness, is partnering with Illinois University’s Matthew Mayer and UCONN's Caroline Ducharme to help promote their Hats Off Sweepstakes, where fans can show off their hat flips for a chance to win a trip to the Final Four games. They shared sponsored Instagram Reels and appeared in a YouTube Shorts video on the brand channel along with other creators, encouraging viewers to enter the Sweepstakes.

The Best Deals May Be Yet To Come

As the tournament progresses, more deals are expected to materialize. As players make a name for themselves with standout performances, brands will likely seize the opportunity to partner with them, just as Buffalo Wild Wings did with Doug Edert, who now plays for Bryant University (Go Bulldogs!), during Saint Peter University’s historic tournament run last year. The spontaneity of these deals can lead to unexpected wins for both athletes and brands, but they require both sides to be able to move quickly, which can be difficult when players' biggest priority is helping their team move on.

FanWord, an athlete storytelling and branding company, may make it easier for athletes and brands to capitalize on these opportunities with the public launch of its Men's and Women's March Madness student-athlete directories. Brands can search for over 1,000+ athletes and access their social media profiles and profiles across NIL platforms and send a message to them.

“One of the many reasons we launched the March Madness directory was to simplify the discovery and outreach process. As a brand, for example, you don't always know where or how to best connect with an athlete. We wanted to remove that friction,” CEO Christopher Aumueller shared with me.