Chipotle has signed its first team Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deal with University of Southern California women’s basketball, including All-American guard JuJu Watkins.
As part of the deal, the USC women’s team will support Chipotle’s various marketing initiatives throughout the 2024-2025 season, and all 15 student athletes will receive a VIP card granting them access to free Chipotle. Later this year, Chipotle will feature players’ go-to orders as digital menu items exclusively on the Chipotle app and Chipotle.com. Watkins’ go-to order is a bowl with white rice, chicken, tomato salsa, fajita veggies, cheese, guac, and sour cream.
“We’re always training hard and staying active, so having a meal option that’s both delicious and packed with protein is perfect for recovering after workouts,” she said in a statement. “Chipotle is also a great spot for the team to bond. It’s super convenient being so close to our practice facility, making it an easy go-to for us to grab a quick meal together and connect.”
The partnership is a part of the brand’s Real Food for Real Athletes platform. It was initially launched in 2019 to support athletes across all levels to perform their best “by providing proper nutrition through real food and fresh ingredients,” according to the company. Chipotle has partnered with the U.S. men’s and women’s soccer team, Olympic athletes ahead of the Summer Games in Paris, and approximately 1,000 scholarship and walk-on student-athletes at Ohio State University as part of the campaign.
“Our restaurants not only provide proper nutrition for elite athletes, but as the USC women’s basketball team has exemplified, we are also a place where teammates can create memories together,” chief brand officer Chris Brandt said in a statement. “This USC team’s tight-knit culture is a major reason why they’re one of the top basketball programs in the country.”
USC is currently ranked sixth in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls. Last season, led by Watkins, the Trojans reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament and earned their first No. 1 seed since 1986.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
