Cooper Flagg, No. 2 of the Duke Blue Devils, drives the ball against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, on October 27, 2024.
Grant Halverson | Getty Images
Gatorade is adding another big-name athlete to its already loaded portfolio.
First-year Duke men’s basketball player Cooper Flagg has agreed to a name, image and likeness deal with PepsiCo-owned Gatorade, according to an announcement Tuesday. Flagg is projected to be the first overall pick in the 2025 National Basketball Association draft, and already has nothing deals with brands including New Balance and New Era.
“This has been a big year for me on and off the field, and Gatorade has been there all the way,” Flagg said in a press release. “From being named Gatorade Player of the Year to officially joining the team, it was surreal to be mentioned with some of the biggest names in basketball. Gatorade’s roster is special, and I’m excited to work with them as I take this next step.”
As part of the deal, Gatorade will use Flag in its marketing. Terms of the deal, like Flagg’s other terms, were not disclosed.
Flagg is the latest example of a college sports landscape that is dramatically different than what existed before 2021. Since the NIL deals were approved, college athletes have been able to leverage endorsement deals in ways they couldn’t before.
Players like Flagg, a highly touted prospect and potential NBA star, have been able to get net-zero deals, some of which are said to be worth millions of dollars.
Flagg is Gatorade’s first men’s college basketball athlete, joining women’s college basketball stars like University of Connecticut’s Paige Bueckers and USC’s JoJo Watkins as well as collegiate football stars like Colorado’s Sheder Sanders.
“Cooper is an amazing talent who has quickly emerged as one of the best young athletes in the country, and we know he has a bright future ahead of him,” Jeff Kearney, global president of sports marketing at Gatorade, said in a statement. “At Gatorade, we work with the best of the best, so we are proud to welcome Cooper to the family and excited to support him as he begins his college career.”
Flagg signed his NIL deals before playing in a college basketball game that counts toward a record-breaking season. Duke plays its first regular season game Monday against Maine.
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