Marquette basketball, Dave & Buster’s launch NIL partnership

Marquette men’s basketball athletes will each have at least one NIL deal this season.

Through its multimedia rightsholder, Learfield, Marquette re-negotiated its relationship with Dave & Buster’s this offseason. As part of the updated partnership, there will be a NIL activation portion of the agreement.

This year, the Golden Eagles will hold 10 “Marquette Thursdays at Dave & Buster’s.” The events will begin on Dec. 1 and run through the season at the Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, location. Marquette basketball players will attend the meet-and-greet with fans.

While Learfield does not represent the athletes, it does represent Marquette as part of the rights agreement. The use of intellectual property in brand activations utilizing NIL is allowed to be secured through school sponsorships.

“We’re thrilled to extend our overall sponsorship with Marquette Athletics and serve as host site for 10 ‘Marquette Thursdays at Dave & Buster’s’ during college basketball season,” Wauwatosa Dave & Buster’s general manager Linda Halopka-Ivery said in a statement. “I can’t think of a better way to tip off a new season in support of the Golden Eagles, and we are proud to continue to align our D&B brand with Marquette.”

Hosted by alum and ESPN reporter Jen Lada, fans not at the restaurant will have the opportunity to tune in to the show on 94.5 ESPN Milwaukee, as well as through The Varsity Network app. With 10 dates scheduled, the first show debuts on Dec. 1 and runs through March.

Marquette opens up the second season of the Shaka Smart era on Monday night against Radford.

“We’ve enjoyed talking with sponsors about how they can engage with student-athletes for authentic use of NIL and their marketing investment,” Marquette Sports Properties general manager Brad Harrison said. “There are many creative approaches to those connections, and we can’t wait to introduce fans to the new NIL event series at D&B starting December 1.”

Learfield’s growing role in NIL

Marquette’s unique partnership with Dave & Buster’s is not the first time Learfield has played a role in NIL. While the collegiate sports marketing company is not brokering deals for athletes, it can present possible opportunities.

At the onset of the college football season, Learfield announced it was bringing Zips Car Wash partnerships to multiple institutions. Individual partnerships with student-athletes were set up to promote the deal.

Learfield and Opendorse also have a strategic relationship as its NIL marketplace provider, supplying multimedia rights school partners access to comprehensive NIL solutions.