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Paige Bueckers' Amazing NIL Play: Boosting Youth Sports
W|W DL 40
Number 40
Paige Bueckers' Amazing NIL Play: Boosting Youth Sports
Featured Focus: Athlete-Driven Impact, Community Programs, Access/Inclusion/Equality
Scope of Impact: Local
By Guest Contributor Joe Flynn
There are a lot of reasons why I'm proud I went to UConn (17 national championships is one of them). But just as meaningful is being part of a school where athletes use their platforms for more than personal gain.
And that’s exactly what Paige Bueckers is doing — giving away thousands of dollars from every NIL deal she signs.
In fact, she requires every brand she partners with to include a donation as part of the deal. Over the past few years, she’s helped drive:
• A $25,000 donation from Dunkin to the UConn food pantry
• A free pop-up grocery market in Minneapolis in partnership with Chegg
• Youth sports donations through sales of her Madison Reed product line
And she’s not just waiting around for brands to act.
She partnered with Gatorade to personally donate $50,000 to Good Sports, Inc. to help rebuild youth sports programs after the LA wildfires.
Check out my video below to see how Paige is rewriting the NIL playbook.
Paige Bueckers is blazing her own trail by incorporating charitable components to her NIL deals. This model is a major evolution in athlete philanthropy, using NIL partnerships as catalysts for sustainable community impact.
In fact, we might even go so far as to say it’s a paradigm shift. On one hand, Bueckers is taking advantage of NIL to set a new standard for the next generation. On the other, she only aligns herself with brands and/or organizations that share her passion for supporting youth sports and other issues close to her heart.
Albeit in a different setting, 21-year-old San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama is taking a similar approach with his endorsement deals. This trend is welcome departure from athletes preaching healthy habits while also getting fast food or soda endorsements. And we hope there’s more to come.
YOUR NEXT PLAY:
In DL3 and DL31, we spotlight Cailtin Clark’s philanthropic work in her home-state of Iowa. Paige Bueckers is opening a new opportunity for brands to look at college athletes the same way—for purposeful partnerships at the local or national level, that will likely have an impact long after they leave campus. It’s the quintessential WIN-WIN, and we absolutely love it.
A primer from ESPN on what’s involved, and what’s at stake, for college athletes in the universe of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals. | A database of independent organizations that raise money for colleges to provide their athletes with NIL agreement payouts. | Bueckers recently donated $50,000 to the initiative from Good Sports, supporting youth sports communities affected by recent California wildfires. |
The UConn star partnered with the software brand to provide free financial literacy programs to athletes and students nationwide. | In 2024, Beuckers became the first NCAA athlete to design a shoe for Nike, which leads a variety of community impact initiatives with a focus on youth sports. | FSU Researcher discusses declining youth sports participation and benefits. |
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