Peacock to debut Caitlin Clark cast as Iowa star goes for scoring title

Caitlin Clark sits eight points away from college basketball history.

The Iowa star has become one of the most transformative players in the sport. She’s arguably one of the most recognized college athletes. And Clark is also one of the best to play the game, now less than 10 points away from breaking the NCAA women’s all-time scoring record.

With 3,520 career points, the guard is closing in on Kelsey Plum’s scoring title of 3,527 points. Clark is expected to break the record Thursday, as the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes host Michigan. With the game set to be broadcast on Peacock, NBC announced Tuesday that viewers will have the option to watch a special alternate feed, dubbed the “Caitlin Cast presented by State Farm.”

The reigning National Player of the Year is already an ambassador for the insurance company, becoming the brand’s first college athlete this fall when she inked an NIL deal. She’s also the first female athlete to sign with the company, joining a list of ambassadors headlined by Patrick Mahomes and Chris Paul. As part of the agreement, she appeared in commercials, social media advertisements and events repping State Farm.

Now the insurance firm is leveraging its relationship with Clark by sponsoring a special cast to watch her break the record. According to the NBC release, the cast will capture “Clark’s every move as she looks to break the scoring record.”

Caitlin Clark succeeding on-court, in NIL

She’s currently averaging 32.1 points and 8.3 assists per game, leading the nation in both categories. The Hawkeyes are currently ranked second in the Big Ten with a 22-3 overall record and an 11-2 mark in the league. Clark’s drawn record-breaking crowds on conference road trips this season, including 18,809 at Ohio State.

“It’s not really on the front of my mind right now,” Clark said about breaking the scoring record. “I think just getting better and getting back home and playing in front of our fans and executing the way we know we can execute, I think, is very important for this team.”

Clark is repped by Excel Sports Management and has emerged as an NIL star, inking brand deals with Nike, State Farm, Topps, Gatorade and Hy-Vee. With more than 1.1 million social media followers, she holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $818,000. The valuation is No. 4 in women’s basketball and No. 39 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.

Iowa and Michigan tip-off on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.