Brands Can Now Connect with NCAA Athletes
WRITTEN BY Peter, copywriting team
via StockX
The brave new world of NCAA athletes being able to ink name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals while still retaining amateur status is upon us. This not only gives young athletes the chance to hit the marketplace as influencers but, an opportunity for brands to raise their profile.
One athlete who has jumped in with both feet is the reigning Naismith Player of the Year Paige Bueckers. Her first deal was with StockX, the footwear and apparel platform. A deal with Gatorade happened soon thereafter.
Not surprisingly, given her position as one of the best freshman basketball players in NCAA history, Bueckers goes by the nickname “Paige Buckets” — a moniker that she filed a trademark on in August of 2021.
A significant part of the rollout of her NIL career has been short-form videos, which have become a standard tool in marketers’ toolboxes. Bueckers hit Instagram as part of the StockX rollout and Gatorade announced their deal with her via a video. No doubt she’ll be a regular on social media from here on out.
Working with high-profile athletes — especially starting early in their career — allows companies to raise their profile with the fans of the athlete they work with. And team-sports stars bring along a community loyal not just to the individual athlete but, their team as well.
Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers (5) plays against Butler during the first quarter of an NCAA college basketball game in Indianapolis, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Bueckers is just the latest star of the storied UConn’s women’s program, which has the second-most victories in women’s NCAA history and the most championships at 11. The market reach of athletes playing for teams with an already established deep reservoir of fan loyalty is hard to exaggerate.
For athletes like Bueckers, building their personal brand in tandem with major brands before hitting the pros is a huge jumpstart. By the time Paige Buckets hits the big leagues—the WNBA—she’ll be even more well known than “just” being the country’s best college women’s hooper would have made her.
“My body would have been on the 2004 NCAA basketball video game. And the Schottenstein Center would have been sold out every single night if I was there. Me and my mom, we didn’t have anything. We wouldn’t have been able to benefit at all from it. The university would have been able to capitalize on everything.”
- Lebron James, The Washington Post
