NIL Deals of the Week: UConn's Adama Sanogo partners with Sunoco

Nakos updated headshotby:Pete Nakos•04/14/23•

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NIL continues to be a significant step forward for most college athletes but not international students.

Limited guidance and outdated regulations have made it difficult for athletes to exercise their publicity rights similar to their teammates. A standard F-1 visa for students, including athletes, places limits on the types of income those visa holders can earn.

UConn’s Adama Sanogo signed a partnership with Sunoco this week but traveled to the Bahamas to execute the deliverables of the deal. He’s also shooting content for other partnerships when he’s there. Assisting international athletes has not picked up much steam as of late on Capitol Hill.

As a reminder, feel free to submit info on your NIL deal to On3. You can send an email to [email protected] or reach out via DM or comment on Twitter to @On3NIL or @deals_nil. Direct messages are open, too, on the @On3NIL Instagram account.

Let’s get to the deals that highlighted this week in NIL.

Adama Sanogo partners with Sunoco in NIL deal

Despite all his on-court success in the last month, Adama Sanogo has not been able to reap the benefits of his NIL. The UConn forward was born in Mali, and the standard F-1 visa places limits on the types of income those visa holders can earn. It’s why so few international athletes have truly been able to monetize their publicity rights.

It appears Sanogo has signed his first partnership, though. In a fitting move, the UConn player signed with the gas station company Sunoco, which sounds similar to his name. It’s a joke the brand has played up in a series of videos released on its Instagram recently.

Now he is taking part in a signed jersey collaboration with Sunoco. In the same colors as the gas station’s brand, the jersey features the company’s logo with Sanogo’s name and number on the back.

In the video advertisement shot for the endorsement deal, it appears the UConn forward is in a tropical location. Sanogo traveled to the Bahamas this week to fulfill a handful of NIL partnerships, a source confirmed to On3. If he executed the agreement in international waters, there’s a strong chance he would be able to profit from the partnership.

“What a crazy ride,” he said in an advertisement released on Instagram. “I’m teaming up with my No. 1 super fan Sunoco to do a signed jersey collab. So, to my biggest fan and everyone who cheered for me, thank you. I have a feeling people are going to know my name now.”

The Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, Sanogo finished the season averaging 17.2 points and 7.7 rebounds. He also shot 60.3% from the field, which ranked in the top 25 in the country. In UConn’s tournament run, the forward averaged 19.6 points per game.

While Sanogo was arguably the most valuable during the NCAA tournament, he still has built a notable profile thanks to UConn’s national title. The forward has a $776,000 On3 NIL Valuation. He made his decision Thursday to enter the NBA draft while maintaining his eligibility.

Hotel Indigo signs Trey Benson, Jordan Travis

Trey Benson and Jordan Travis have not struggled to find NIL opportunities this offseason. The Florida State stars are arguably two of the most marketable names in the Tallahassee market.

Working closely with Joe Hernandez, the founder of Just Win Management, they’ve inked agreements with Tallahassee Ford, NextGenCamps and now Hotel Indigo. The IHG boutique hotel will be the official hotel of the quarterback-running back duo.

“We were looking to create a unique partnership here that would be a win-win for both sides,” Hernandez told On3. “The partnership with Hotel Indigo in Collegetown makes it the Official Hotel of Jordan Travis & Trey Benson for the 2023 season. With the luxury hotel being so close to all of the action on game day, this makes the partnership a perfect match.”

Travis has a $1.2 million On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks No. 10 in the nation. It also ranks No. 18 in the On3 NIL 100; the quarterback has over 117,000 social media followers. Benson holds a $571,000 On3 NIL Valuation, ranking in the top 50 of college football.

Angel Reese featured in new trading card

Angel Reese has not wasted a moment following LSU’s national championship. The women’s basketball star had plenty of NIL deals before March Madness even began. But In a time where she can easily profit off her NIL paired with an unparalleled number of eyeballs on the women’s basketball game, Reese has made the most of her moment. Maybe no college athlete has ever been able to capitalize the way the LSU basketball player has.

She signed a card deal with Leaf Training Cards earlier this week. Reese is featured on two unique Pro-Set cards. The Pro-Set series recreates a design that was popular in the late 1980s and early 90s. Leaf recently brought the design back into circulation. A lot of top athletes’ first cards with Leaf are part of the Pro-Set series because of the historical meaning with the company.

“Leaf Trading Cards is beyond excited to land the biggest name in women’s college basketball,” CJ Breen with Leaf told On3. “Over the past few weeks, it has become very clear that Angel is going to become a game changer in the collectible and memorabilia space.

“This partnership is a huge step in the right direction for the representation of women’s college athletes regarding NIL deals. Leaf prides itself in being a pioneer and helping grow visibility for women in trading cards.”

Through all the success, Reese’s On3 NIL Valuation has taken off. After spiking more than $480,000 following LSU’s national title last week, her valuation has now surpassed $1 million. Reese’s social following has more than tripled to 3.6 million since the Final Four.

Entering March Madness, the former Maryland transfer had a $371,000 On3 NIL Valuation. Her valuation now is $1.3 million, which is the top-ranked women’s basketball valuation. Reese also ranks No. 13 in the On3 NIL 100, which is the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.

She is one of just 23 college student-athletes to have a valuation in the seven figures.

LinkingCoogs signs transfers LJ Cryer, Damian Dunn

LinkingCoogs has wasted no time in sending a very clear message to this spring’s transfer portal: come and NIL opportunities will follow.

The Houston-focused NIL collective signed deals with incoming transfers LJ Cryer and Damian Dunn. While NIL has become a way for top college basketball and football programs to retain talent, it’s also been used to attract talent in high school recruitment and the portal.

The agreements were announced just days after the duo transferred to Houston. A former four-star recruit, Cryer averaged 15 points per game this year for Baylor and fits into Marcus Sasser’s role. He’s won a national title, and he has the tournament experience to lead Houston’s backcourt.

Landing Dunn is another key pickup. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound shooting guard averaged 15.3 points and 3.7 rebounds at Temple. The duo could make Houston’s guard rotation better than it was this past season.

“To say signing LJ Cryer to the University of Houston was a game-changer is an understatement,” LinkingCoogs co-founder Landon Goesling told On3. “In addition to adding LJ, also adding Damian Dunn in back-to-back days speaks volumes to where this program is headed. This immediately puts us right back in position to compete for a national championship. We know what awaits us next year. The Big 12 is an entirely different beast.”

Honorable Mention