NIL Deals of the Week: South Carolina women's basketball players to each receive $25,000
Another week brought a new wave of firsts. All of them would have been impossible to execute before the NIL era began on July 1, 2021.
As part of a deal with Water Street Tavern, Kent State receiver Dante Cephas will have his touchdown celebrations sponsored by the local bar and grill that’s known as “the official fan headquarters of the Golden Flashes.” Fans can score a $6 chicken sandwich and fries special every Thursday for each game Cephas whips out his touchdown celebration this season.
And Florida gymnast Leah Clapper has launched a club with Tim Tebow‘s CAMPUS. As part of her agreement, fans will have the opportunity to submit videos of their “best dance move” on TikTok and Instagram. Clapper will choose her favorite submissions for an upcoming vote. The graduate student will then select a dance move to include in the choreography of her competitive beam routine this season.
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Let’s get to the deals that highlighted this week in NIL.
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South Carolina women’s basketball players to each receive $25,000
Team-wide NIL deals are not new in college athletics. Level 13 Agency committed $25,000 per player to Texas Tech earlier this summer. SMU’s Boulevard Collective announced in August plans to pay players on both the football and basketball teams $36,000 a year — a total payout of $3.5 million annually — for NIL activity.
And this week, South Carolina‘s women’s basketball team was given a similar opportunity. Thanks to former state legislator and current CNN political analyst Bakari Sellers and a group of other prominent donors, each member of the Gamecocks team will be provided the opportunity to earn an average of $25,000 or more in NIL deals — roughly $325,000 total.
Garnet Trust, the South Carolina-focused NIL collective, will help manage the deliverables with NOCAP Sports assisting in contracts and payments. Each member of the team will be expected to execute a variety of deliverables. Community appearances, social media posts and sponsored interviews will be on the list.
This deal marks the one of the first times a collective has worked closely with a national brand to secure NIL partnerships for its athletes. The high-protein chocolate milk brand Slate Milk will be featured in promotions.
NOCAP Sports will also be in talks with national brands throughout the year discussing more potential NIL opportunities for the team. Wednesday’s announcement at South Carolina is a sign of what it will take for the top 25 women’s basketball programs in the country to compete for national championships.
Minnesota safety Steven Ortiz Jr. using NIL to help Puerto Rico relief
Minnesota safety Steven Ortiz Jr. recently struck an NIL deal with The Kitchen by Baked Brand, one of the newest restaurants at Minneapolis’ Midtown Global Market.
When he signed the agreement, Hurricane Fiona had not hit Puerto Rico yet. But hours after he tasted his meal, the storm touchdown down. Ortiz is open about his passion for his roots. When he committed to Minnesota back in 2020, two Puerto Rican flags were positioned behind him. The Desert Edge High School product — in the Phoenix suburb of Goodyear — has even worn a durag with the flag on it, as part of a partnership with Drippy Rags.
So with family and friends left without power and running water by the Category 4 hurricane, Shelby and Mason decided that all the proceeds of Ortiz’s meal for the first month will be put in a fund for the victims of Hurricane Fiona.
“It’s just heartbreaking,” Ortiz told On3. “They’re going through a tough time right now. If I had millions of dollars, I would definitely donate and help out Puerto Rico right now if I could. I have family out there. And just I don’t know — Puerto Rico is in me.”
Ortiz’s meal at The Kitchen by Baked Brand dips into his heritage. First is a protein blue nut smoothie, perfect for a post-workout snack. And then three types of empanadas: stuffed turkey leg, shrimp and cheese, and beef and cheese.
“I’d give her props — she also made a lemon strawberry cheesecake empanada,” Ortiz said. “Empanadas aren’t really made for dessert, but she made it a dessert. She went off the rulebook basically, and did her own thing, which I loved about it.”
Ortiz has nearly 20,000 followers on social media and an On3 NIL Valuation of $55,000.
Auburn running back Tank Bigsby gifts teammates Beats headphones
Beats by Dre continues to use NIL to expand its brand across college football fanbases. USC quarterback Caleb Williams was the first to strike a relationship with the audio equipment company. He handed out Beats to the women’s basketball team and most recently his football teammates.
Now Beats by Dre is replicating the partnerships with notable college programs. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has signed on, and LeBron James gifted Ohio State-themed headphones to the Buckeyes.
Auburn running back Tank Bigsby has now signed on. Ahead of the Tigers’ matchup with Missouri last weekend, the running back gifted each teammate a set of Beats headphones.
“Christmas came early we got Santa Claus right here,” Tate Johnson, a junior offensive lineman and Bigsby’s high school teammate, said in the video.
Bigsby holds an On3 NIL evaluation of $793,000 and has seen a 14-week growth of $247,000. His valuation places him at No. 34 in the NIL 100 and 21st among college football players.
The running back has seen a boost in his social media following, which now sits at 64,000. His per-post value is $1,400.
Kent State’s Dante Cephas becomes first to sign Touchdown Dance NIL Deal
The NCAA’s interim policy prohibits NIL deals based on athletic performance. The guidelines, however, do not strictly prohibit businesses from sponsoring a touchdown celebration. That’s where Kent State receiver Dante Cephas, Water Street Tavern and Jaster Athletes come in.
Cephas – one of the top returning pass catchers in the Mid-American Conference – agreed to an NIL deal with Water Street Tavern this week. As part of the deal brokered by Jaster Athletes, Cephas will have his touchdown celebrations sponsored by the local bar and grill that’s known as “the official fan headquarters of the Golden Flashes.”
Every time Cephas does his signature end zone celebration – which is essentially a referee-friendly version of the Cabbage Patch dance – Kent State fans can stop by the bar and grill to get a $6 chicken sandwich and fry special.
“When Dante Eats, we all eat,” Water Street Tavern said when promoting the deal.
As part of the promotion, fans can score a $6 chicken sandwich and fries special every Thursday for each game Cephas whips out his touchdown celebration this season. It’s brilliant. And it’s something college athletics would have never seen five years ago.
Arizona State basketball player Devan Cambridge signs with Olipop
A new brand entered NIL this week, and it’s notable. Soda company Olipop signed Arizona State basketball player Devan Cambridge to a partnership, which he announced on Instagram.
Olipop is a soda replacement sparkling tonic. Each 12-ounce can has 45 calories or less and combines prebiotics, fiber, and botanical extracts for gut health. The company has over 185,000 followers and has continued to grow in popularity.
The Auburn transfer averaged 5.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 33 games last season. This week’s deal was not his first. He previously signed with State Bicycle Co.
Cambridge has a massive On3 NIL Valuation of $110,000. He has built a major following on Instagram with 127,000 followers.
Honorable Mention
- Florida gymnast Leah Clapper has launched a club with Tim Tebow’s CAMPUS. As part of her agreement, fans will have the opportunity to submit videos of their “best dance move” on TikTok and Instagram. Clapper will choose her favorite submissions for an upcoming vote. The graduate student will then select a dance move to include in the choreography of her competitive beam routine this season.
- Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders announced Tuesday the formation of “#2 BBQ Sauce,” his first retail product. The sauce was launched with PLB Sports & Entertainment, which creates food products with athletes. PLB has created products such as Doug Flutie’s Flutie Flakes and Stefon Diggs Hot Sauce.
- The lifestyle retailer Urban Outfitters has partnered with 29 NCAA Division I athletes in NIL deals as part of a campaign during the back-to-school season in which they’ll showcase how they “make their mark,” according to a press release.
- North Carolina defensive back Tony Grimes announced Monday he signed an NIL deal with ScienceLogic, a company that offers artificial intelligence for IT operations, or AIOps.