Gatorade signs first HBCU athlete to NIL deal

Gatorade announced a major NIL signing on Thursday. They’ve added Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders to their short roster of collegiate representatives. Sanders, son of head coach Deion Sanders, is now the first HBCU athlete to sign a deal with the sports drink company.

BREAKING: Shedeur Sanders has signed an NIL deal with Gatorade.

The Jackson State QB and son of Deion Sanders becomes Gatorade's first-ever HBCU athlete and second NIL signing. pic.twitter.com/PLkVCBrAXp

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 27, 2022

The young Jackson State athlete hasn’t tweeted about the deal yet himself, though he did share, “It’s GOD’s plan,” on Wednesday night.

“It’s an honor to join the Gatorade Family and represent this historic moment for HBCU athletes,” Sanders told Front Office Sports. It is reportedly a multi-year deal.

The rising star now has deals with Gatorade, Beats by Dre, and Tom Brady’s new brand.

This season for Jackson State, Shedeur Sanders threw for 3,231 yards and 30 touchdowns. The Tigers went 11-2 on the year.

Gatorade signs Paige Bueckers

Gatorade has always been synonymous with some of the biggest athletes in the world. They signed UConn women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers as the first student-athlete to ever sign an NIL deal with them.

It wasn’t Bueckers’ first foray with the company. Last year, she was the recipient of the 2020 Gatorade High School Player of the Year award. Now, she’s taking her brand to the next level.

“It was a blessing to win Gatorade Player of the Year in high school. Now, it’s truly surreal to be an official member of the Gatorade Family,” Bueckers stated. “I know this is just the beginning of our partnership and I can’t wait to get to work with Gatorade to drive impact in the community and on the women’s game.”

Bueckers announced the deal in style. The UConn star used a photoshoot where she was wearing a Gatorade logo varsity jacket. She paired it with a Gatorade collaboration edition of the Air Jordan 1 Retro High to let the world know.

“From her electrifying performances on the court to fueling change off of it, Paige exemplifies everything it means to be a Gatorade athlete,” said Jeff Kearney, global head of sports marketing at Gatorade, per ESPN. “Partnering with her is a statement to the next generation of our continued commitment to women in sport.”

Unfortunately, Bueckers suffered a fracture in December that required surgery. She hasn’t returned to play yet.