Oregon football star Kayvon Thibodeaux lands United Airlines NIL deal
Oregon football defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux has landed an NIL deal with United Airlines, per his Instagram page. The junior preseason All-American announced Tuesday that United will offer a special non-stop flight from Eugene, Oregon to Columbus, Ohio in anticipation of Oregon’s Sept. 11 game at Ohio State.
“So excited for Duck fans to be back in the stands this year,” posted Thibodeaux. “Shoutout to United Airlines for adding a special, non-stop flight from Eugene to Columbus, making it easier than ever to get to our big game there next month.”
The NIL deal with Kayvon Thibodeaux is the first publicly announced partnership United Airlines has developed with a college athlete.
Under the NCAA’s new Name, Image and Likeness rules, a company can pay college athletes to promote or endorse their brand for a fee, product or service.
In a statement provided to ESPN, Thibodeaux said, “Partnering with United Airlines was a no-brainer for me, as they are a premium brand with the same core values as I have. I look forward to a long-standing relationship with United.”
Thibodeaux has also signed deals with Nike and Tinker Hatfield to create unique NFT products this season.
About Kayvon Thibodeaux
Thibodaux joined Oregon as the No. 2 players in the class of 2019. He was ranked the top player in the state of California and was also the second-best edge rusher in the country. Thibodeaux was named the PAC-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. He is also a two-time USA Today High School All-American.
He is a 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive end who has developed into one of the top edge rushers in his class. Therefore, Thibodeaux is considered a top-10 NFL Draft pick next season by many analysts. He also won the 2020 Morris Trophy, given to the best lineman in the PAC-12 each season.
In 2020, Thibodeaux finished with 38 tackles and three sacks, in addition to three pass break-ups and two quarterback hits in seven games.
About United Airlines
The company was founded in 1926 and began flights in 1931. United has a history of advertising during sporting events, sponsoring ads in past Summer Olympics and Super Bowl XXXVIII.
United is one of the biggest airline companies in the United States, with hubs in Denver, Los Angeles and others.
Their fleet consists of more than 800 airplanes that travel to 342 different destinations.