Cavinder Twins establish Female NIL Fund with Seoul Juice
The Cavinder Twins were able to build their brand and notoriety thanks to the NIL Era. The former Miami women’s basketball players announced in April they planned to not use their fifth year of eligibility.
Their first NIL deal was with Boost Mobile in Times Square on the first day of college sports’ new era on July 1, 2021. From there, they used their combined social media following of more than 5 million to sign with brands like Raising Cane’s, Victoria’s Secret PINK and Champs Sports.
Arguably two of the most recognized basketball players last season, they are now using their platforms to give back to college athletes. The social media influencers have signed on to Seoul Juice as equity partners. Through the agreement, Hanna and Haley Cavinder will be the company’s head of partnerships.
The partnership also calls for the formation of a Female NIL Fund. The Korean pear beverage plans to start a female-focused NIL campaign, with the Cavinders playing a lead role in procurement. Earlier this summer, LSU gymnast and NIL star Livvy Dunne established “The Livvy Fund” in partnership with the NIL collective Bayou Traditions. As part of that initiative, On3 and Accelerator Active Energy committed funds to support female LSU athletes.
Available in Costco and Bristol Farms stores, the California-based pear product is founded by former college athlete Luis Manta.
“NIL has been a great launchpad for women in sports,” Hanna Cavinder said in a statement. “It has provided new economic options and avenues for female student-athletes to grow beyond the collegiate space. It still has a ways to go but we see the growth in female sports as an incredible opportunity for brands to gain awareness, reach and push customers to test their products more quickly.”
The twins left Fresno State and entered the transfer portal in spring 2022, deciding to continue playing college basketball at Miami. The move to South Beach presented more NIL opportunities, elevating their national profile.
The duo continued to cash in on their NIL over the course of this academic year at Miami. The NCAA also came down with a recruiting violation on Miami in February regarding the Cavinders. According to the NCAA, the twins had dinner with Miami booster John Ruiz during their recruitment process.
Represented by Everett Sports Marketing, Alexi Hecht facilitated the agreement. Attorney Darren Heitner assisted in the equity deal. Since making the decision to leave Miami, the twins have inked endorsement deals with Caktus AI and Jake Paul‘s Betr media company. ESM recently told On3 the Cavinders were the highest-paid female basketball players in the 2022-23 season.
“Less than 30% of total NIL funding goes to female college athletes and NIL deals have only been around for 2 years,” Manta said. “We were extremely disappointed when we heard that statistic and wanted to do something to help change it. We will be the first brand to start a Female NIL-focused campaign where we help partner with and support female collegiate athletics.
“The Cavinder Twins were trailblazers for NIL partnerships and were the perfect partner to help spread awareness. They will be leading the charge in helping us bring more female college athletes on board to help spread the word about Seoul Juice and clean hydration.”