Women’s basketball and NIL deals: Early trends in this year’s March Madness campaigns

There’s still about a week until Selection Sunday, which officially marks the start of March Madness. But some brands are already mad for the NCAA college basketball tournaments.

After last year’s women’s final between the University of Iowa and Louisiana State University broke viewership records and Iowa’s star player Caitlin Clark continued her rise to mainstream recognition this season, the women’s game seems to have caught the attention of advertisers. Brands are also activating around the biggest event in college hoops through NIL deals.

Let’s hear it for the girls: Based on early looks at this year’s March Madness campaigns, advertisers are putting equal emphasis on the men’s and women’s tournaments—at least in terms of their talent.

• Powerade’s national TV spot, which is set to start airing during Selection Sunday on CBS, features two star NCAA guards: Isaiah Collier from the University of Southern California’s men’s team, and Flau’jae Johnson from LSU’s women’s team.
• Ritz, an official sponsor of March Madness, is using 16 college athletes for its campaign: Eight men, and eight women, including Jada Williams and Caleb Love of the University of Arizona, Cameron Brink of Stanford University, and JuJu Watkins of the University of Southern California.

All grown up: Marriott Bonvoy, the official hotel partner of the NCAA and this year’s March Madness, turned to the coaching roster for its campaign, tapping former Texas A&M University and WNBA player Sydney Carter, who’s now director of player development for the University of Texas’s women’s team. The campaign hit digital platforms Feb. 19, and will also run on linear TV from March 19 through March Madness.

Coke Zero Sugar went the alumni route, partnering with Aliyah Boston, who played for the University of South Carolina before joining the WNBA and winning rookie of the year with the Indiana Fever in 2023, and Jay Williams, who played for Duke University and the Chicago Bulls. The brand’s March Madness commercial aired during the UNC-Duke game on March 9, and it’s also hosting experiential components in both the men’s and women’s Final Four host cities.

Age of NIL: The NIL space has matured in the nearly three years since a Supreme Court ruling paved the way for brands to partner with college athletes, and several are now leveraging their NIL partners in March Madness campaigns.

• This year marks the first time Powerade is using NIL athletes in its March Madness campaign, according to the brand (Collier and Johnson were named to its athlete partner roster in January). The campaign also includes more than 40 other college athletes creating digital and social content.
• Marriott Bonvoy said it’s continuing its March Madness social campaign into the spring with basketball, softball, track and field, and gymnastics NIL athletes.
• Ritz is also leaning into its NIL partners on social.