College Athletes in 2025 March Madness Commercials
Mar 24, 2025March Madness isn't just about buzzer-beaters and cinderella runs; it's also a prime time for college athletes to capitalize on their NIL. With millions of fans tuning in, the tournament provides a massive platform for athletes to showcase their talent and marketability.
If you tuned into March Madness this weekend, odds are you saw several college basketball stars during commercial breaks.
Below are some of these athletes and what brands they partnered with.
- Duke superstar Cooper Flagg partnered with AT&T and Gatorade this March Madness season. In a commercial titled "March Madness: Bingo" the announcer calls for B-2, and Cooper stands up to yell BINGO. Cooper's grandmother congratulates Cooper on the victory and reminds him to shake hands with his opponents. In the Gatorade commercial, Flagg's Duke jersey is shown several times but Juju Watkins and Paige Bueckers' USC and UConn jerseys are either cut out of shots or completely blurred out. More Cooper Flagg March Madness commercials below:
Flagg Commercial With Gatorade
- USC superstar Juju Watkins has appeared in commercials with Gatorade, State Farm, and Nike. The Gatorade partnership is unique because Gatorade is releasing a limited-edition squeeze bottle in collaboration with Watkins that embodies her mantra — "without struggle, there is no progress" — which is symbolic of her commitment to the game and drive to continue improving. Check out the Juju Watkins commercials:
Juju Watkins NIL Commercial Gatorade
Juju Watkins State Farm Commercial
Juju Watkins Nike Commercial with LeBron
- UNC PG Elliot Cadeau has been featured prominently during the first weekend of March Madness in a Marriott Bonvoy commercial. In the commercial, Cadeau walks out with the marching band. This is significant because hotels love to promote their services for big events such as March Madness to try and get people to stay there while attending the games. Click below to check out the full commercial:
Cadeau Commercial with Marriott Bonvoy
- Arizona star PG Caleb Love has been featured in Mondelez marketing opportunities promoting Ritz. He also said he hopes the partnership continues to build even after the March Madness NIL campaign. Love also did a partnership with Wingstop where he talks about some of his favorite flavors, and which would advance in his bracket for favorite wings flavor. Click below to see the videos:
- Oregon PG Jackson Shelstad participated in his first ever commercial during his NIL partnership with Chips Ahoy! Shelstad filmed a 30 second commercial in Los Angeles where he promoted Chips Ahoy! which are his go to snack after Oregon wins. Click below to see the videos:
Jackson Shelstad NIL Chips Ahoy!
Jackson Shelstad NIL Commercial
- UConn superstar Paige Bueckers has NIL deals with Nike and Gatorade just to name a few brands. In the Nike Commercial called ‘Everywhere’, Bueckers is shown in many pictures at a rapid speed to portray how she is everywhere just like Nike is in the sport apparel industry. In her message for the Gatorade commercial, Bueckers says, “I took their stomping, their yelling, their noise, takes, time, comments. Their love. I took everything from them. And now when I'm out there, all I hear is ball," which was to show how Bueckers has had a long journey with adversity to get to where she is but is just focused on basketball. Click below to see the videos:
Paige Bueckers NIL Nike Commercial March Madness
Paige Bueckers NIL Commercial Gatorade March Madness
- Kentucky stars Koby Brea and Clara Strack appeared in a commercial from Intuit TurboTax. The commercial was filmed inside Rupp Arena, and featured Brea describing how Intuit TurboTax makes doing taxes easier. This was done by comparing doing taxes before Intuit TurboTax to shooting on a 20-foot rim with a rock. Brea also posted on social media, “Taxes are tough no more. Now taxes are as easy as matching with a @turbotax expert today so you can watch more basketball this March Madness!” Brea has the best 3pt % in the SEC, which has 7 teams in the Sweet 16, including Kentucky. Click below to see the video:
Koby Brea NIL Commercial Turbo Tax
- BYU's Richie Saunders inked an NIL deal with family business, Ore-Ida Potatoes, will give away tater tots for each March Madness win. BYU is headed to the Sweet 16 and leading scorer Rich Saunders great grandfather, F. “Nephi” Griggs, invented tater tots and founded Ore-Ida Potatoes. Since BYU has already won 2 March Madness games, a lot of free tater tots have been given away. Saunders also took part in a photo shoot recreating an iconic Michael Jordan picture while also holding a bag of Ore-Ida tater tots. Click below to see the video:
College athletes in commercials offer brands a unique and powerful marketing opportunity. Their authentic appeal resonates strongly with younger demographics, creating a genuine connection that traditional advertising often misses. During high-profile events like March Madness, these athletes generate significant social media buzz and media attention. By partnering with these rising stars, brands tap into passionate fan bases, cultivating loyalty and community.
What other examples of college basketball stars participating in commercials did you see this weekend?
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