THE WEEKLY REPORT

Good Morning!

March Madness is here, and—no surprise—our brackets are already in shambles. But one thing that’s thriving? Brand partnerships. This year, brands are investing more than ever in college basketball players, with major campaigns from Chipotle, Ritz, Under Armour, CAVA, and more capitalizing on the tournament hype. Let’s break it all down (and maybe recover from our busted brackets) in this week’s Weekly Report.

— Jack Adler and Nick Zoarski

CAVA Joins in on the March Madness Hype,
powered by Out2Win

CAVA is taking its game to the next level this March Madness, rolling out a campaign featuring some of college basketball’s most marketable athletes. Built by Yellow Dot Sports Marketing and powered by Out2Win, this activation was designed with strategy and impact in mind.

Why These Athletes?

✅ Presence in Key CAVA Markets – Maximizing foot traffic in key restaurant locations.

✅ Deep Tournament Potential – More games = more visibility.

✅ Strong Personalities & Leadership – Athletes with big-time influence.

✅ LSU & Alabama Focus –Key brand markets + top-performing teams? Perfect combo.

The Athlete Roster

🏀 Mark Sears (Alabama) & Aneesah Morrow (LSU) – Headlining the campaign by creating their own signature CAVA bowls and engaging in a friendly rivalry.

📲 Madisen Booker (Texas), Aaliyah Moore (Texas), Chaz Lanier (Tennessee), & Saylor Poffenbarger (Maryland) – Showcasing their favorite CAVA orders through UGC content and in-person activations.

By tapping into March Madness hype with data-driven athlete selection, CAVA is showing how strategic NIL partnerships can drive brand engagement at scale.

Build Smarter Partnerships with Out2Win

Out2Win makes it easier than ever to find the right athletes who reach your target audience. Analyze audience insights, apply smart filters, and discover the perfect athlete partners for your brand. Book a demo today to see how Out2Win can help you maximize your next campaign.

Which Brands Went All-In on NIL this College Basketball Season?

The first couple years of NIL were all about testing the waters. In Year 3, brands are diving in headfirst. 🏀💰

As more brands experience the real impact of athlete-influencer partnerships—higher engagement, stronger brand affinity, and direct sales impact—investment is ramping up.

And it’s not just the usual suspects. New categories are emerging, from gaming and financial services to retail & pharmacy brands, all tapping into college athletes' influence.

Another major trend? Women athletes continue to lead the way. With record-breaking viewership and some of the biggest stars in the sport, brands are putting their dollars behind both men’s and women’s basketball players like never before.

Let’s take a look at the gender breakdown from this season’s deals…

As brands refine their NIL strategies, it's clear that women athletes are major drivers of engagement and sponsorship value.

👉 For the full list of brand spending insights from last year’s March Madness—and a deep dive into the top athlete marketing trends—check out our 2025 March Madness Athlete Marketability Report.

Top Campaigns So Far from March Madness

🏀 Almost too many activations to keep track of! Here are some of the standout campaigns from this year’s tournament so far:

🎮 Epic Games – After Quadir Copeland and McNeese State upset Clemson yesterday, Fortnite jumped on the moment with the graphic above posted on Instagram

🌯 Chipotle– Teamed up with the entire USC women's basketball team, launching a digital menu featuring players' go-to orders.

🍪 Ritz & Chips Ahoy! – Mondelez International brands signed Jackson Shelstad (Oregon), Caleb Love (Arizona), and JuJu Watkins (USC) to headline their tournament campaign.

🍺 Athletic Brewing – Non-alcoholic beverage brand signed six college basketball players for its "From Tip-Off to Title" campaign, including UConn’s Hassan Diara & Caroline Ducharme, USC's Rayah Marshall, North Carolina’s RJ Davis, Baylor’s Jeremy Roach, and Texas' Rori Harmon.

💧 Powerade – Launched its "It Takes More to Get This Far" campaign with Alex Karaban (UConn), Caleb Love (Arizona), Saniya Rivers (NC State), and Flau’Jae Johnson (LSU).

👟 Under Armour – Locked in Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee), Lauren Betts (UCLA), Tahaad Pettiford (Auburn), and more for a multi-athlete campaign. According to the brand, this is the first time that their basketball division has built a NIL roster of this kind, with the players coming from both Under Armour and non-Under Armour sponsored schools across the country.

⚡ C4 Energy – Rolled out the "Bracket Breakers" NIL campaign, featuring 128 total athletes –– one from every tournament team across men’s and womens’s.

Looking to get in on the action? Reach out today, and let’s bring your next athlete partnership to life.

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