Four Missouri athletes secure NIL deals with Schnuck Markets
Four athletes at Missouri are taking part in a “cool” new NIL deal.
Schnuck Markets and the Every True Tiger Foundation are gearing up for the second part of their partnership when their “Tiger Tracks” ice cream debuts next week, they announced Tuesday. Athletes from four sports will be featured, headlined by two-time national champion wrestler Keegan O’Toole. Men’s basketball forward Noah Carter, volleyball opposite Jordan Iliff and track jumper Euphenie Andre are also part of the campaign.
All four athletes play key roles on their respective teams, and that’s part of what makes the partnership special, according to Every True Tiger Brands CEO Nick Garner.
“We appreciate Schnucks continuing to be a great partner in bringing this unique program to Tiger Fans,” Garner said in a statement. “We’re excited to introduce athletes from a variety of teams, all with decorated careers at Mizzou, including All-American Honors, SEC Scholar Athlete and even a world champion wrestler!”
This is the second product rollout for Every True Tiger Brands and Schnucks. Last year, they announced a frozen pizza collaboration that included Missouri football players Ty’Ron Hopper, Ennis Rakestraw and Kris Abrams-Draine. The Total Tiger ice cream will be available exclusively at all Schnucks locations in Missouri and metropolitan St. Louis stores in Illinois, according to the announcement.
O’Toole, a junior, is coming off three consecutive All-American seasons to start his college career – including back-to-back first-place finishes. He’s also a two-time reigning national champion and was a finalist for the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s top wrestler each of the last two seasons.
“There’s a saying in sports that an athlete has ice water in his veins if he feels no pressure,” Missouri wrestling coach Brian Smith said. “Keegan is definitely in that category, as a two-time NCAA champion, and now a two-time world Champion. So, I guess it’s pretty fitting he’d be on a product in the freezer case! Very excited for this unique way of using NIL to feature our top Tiger athletes!”
Schnucks’ star-studded ‘Tiger Tracks’ NIL campaign
O’Toole isn’t the only notable athlete part of the deal with Schnucks. Carter, Iliff and Andre are all important pieces of their respective teams.
Iliff was a crucial piece of the volleyball team this past season. She led Missouri with a career-high 388 kills as a senior while adding a team-best 45 service aces, as well. Those numbers earned her a spot on All-SEC Team and AVCA Volleyball Southeast All-Region Honorable Mention selections.
In his second year with Mizzou after transferring from Northern Iowa, Carter ranks third on the men’s basketball team with 11.9 points per game and averages a team-high 5.3 rebounds. Those numbers are improvements from last year when Carter averaged 9.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in his first season with the Tigers.
Andre will be in her sixth year on the Missouri track and field team thanks to the COVID-19 waiver. She turned in a banner freshman indoor season in 2019 when she turned in a 13.31m (43-8) triple jump, which currently ranks second in program history. Last outdoor season, she had a sixth-place finish and a third-place finish in the triple jump to her name.