Cooper Flagg becomes first men's college basketball player to sign NIL deal with Gatorade

Duke basketball freshman Cooper Flagg has become the first men's college basketball player in history to sign an NIL deal with Gatorade. The brand announced the partnership just about a week away from Flagg's college basketball regular season debut on November 4th as Duke will host Maine.

As Flagg has been one of the most talked-about prospects in the last several decades of college basketball and the projected #1 overall 2025 NBA Draft choice, his name and likeness have continued to soar.

Flagg won the 2023-24 Gatorade National Player of the Year Award. He now has a $2.6M NIL Valuation by On3 after the deal.

Flagg joins a long list of premier basketball stars who signed contracts with Gatorade, such as Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, Paul George, and fellow Blue Devil Zion Williamson.

Although Flagg was the first men's college hoops player to sign with Gatorade, he joins a list of top women's players including Paige Bueckers of UConn and Juju Watkins of USC.

"For me it was a huge opportunity coming from a family that drank Gatorade pretty much my whole life," Flagg told USA Today. "I grew up with my brothers drinking Gatorade almost every day. So I think having that kind of connection and then just aligning myself with the brand that is very high level and about the right stuff and does it the right way."

Flagg signed a shoe endorsement deal with New Balance in late August and now adds Gatorade to his repertoir. The Preseason First Team All-American and Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year already has some top brands inked before he's even debuted in college.