UConn's Paige Bueckers headlines Ibotta's NIL investment

Paige Bueckers is leading another brand into the NIL space. The UConn basketball player has been one of the biggest winners of college athletics’ new era, and she has now inked an endorsement deal with Ibotta.

A free cash back rewards web and mobile app, the company allows users to shop at stores or purchase products from companies that pay an Ibotta fee.

The brand is being ushered into NIL with assistance from Pearpop and The Brandr Group. Michigan jumper Riley Ammenhouser and Arkansas sprinter Britton Wilson are also headlining the campaign, which is putting a spotlight on female athletes. Florida shortstop Skylar Wallace, the SEC Player of the Year, is participating, too.

As part of their agreements, athletes are working with Ibotta, Pearpop and TBG to develop and create social media content, including a “Fridge Raiders” series, where players critique their home fridges and provide their parents with a grocery list. By doing this, they can show their parents how much they can save by using Ibotta.

“Just like any other deal I’ve signed, with Gatorade, with Chegg, with anything,” Bueckers said in a recent phone call with On3. “All of our values fit. Everything aligned perfectly in what we wanted to accomplish and make a priority. That’s to help families and kids, and helping give back to the community. That was obviously a perfect fit. And obviously, Ibotta was investing in women athletes, and I’m proud to be part of that group and have a partnership with them. We share a lot of the same ideals.”

The goal behind Ibotta’s campaign is to grow its name recognition. The brand has previously done work with the New Orleans Pelicans and the F1 driver Logan Sargeant. The free-to-use cash back rewards platform has delivered more than $1.4 billion in cumulative cash rewards to its users for making purchases in-store or on mobile apps.

The company’s name is a play on “I bought a.”

“We are excited to expand our sports marketing efforts and be at the forefront of the NIL movement,” said Richard Donahue, Ibotta’s chief marketing officer. “Competing at the collegiate level is an incredible feat for any athlete, and we are proud to partner with female athletes across the country.”

@paigebueckers

I’ve got the whole fam earning cash back with @Ibotta on all of my favorite summer snacks. #IbottaPartner

♬ original sound – Paige Bueckers

Paige Bueckers’ NIL brand

The 2020-21 national player of the year missed the 2022-23 season with an ACL injury. The 2021-22 season wasn’t much easier, as she missed 19 games from November to February, dealing with an anterior tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear in her left knee. After a December surgery, she recovered and returned to lead UConn to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and its first national championship game berth since 2016.

Even though she was eligible to head for the WNBA this spring, she opted to return to the Huskies for this upcoming year. In 46 career games at UConn, the 6-foot guard is averaging 18 points and 4.5 rebounds

Bueckers is also closing in on 1.7 million followers across her Instagram, Twitter and TikTok accounts. Finding NIL opportunities has not been a problem for Paige Bueckers, and that’s not even factoring in what she can command in the market she’s back to full health this season.

She has a $736,000 On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks No. 4 in women’s college basketball. Bueckers sits at No. 50 in the On3 NIL 100, which is the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.