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Snoop Dogg has never been shy about taking advantage of the many, many endorsement opportunities that have come his way over the years, and earlier this month, he decided to branch out yet again by slapping his name on a college football bowl game—which will be the first contest of its kind to give NIL money to the players who end up participating.
It’s been close to three years since Jimmy Kimmel’s name got slapped at the front of the L.A. Bowl (he was replaced by Rob Gronkowski ahead of last year’s contest), and at the start of May, a hip-hop legend announced he was getting in on the auction when thanks to what has been officially dubbed the “Snoop Doog Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice” (the ready-to-drink cocktail brand he launched with—who else?—Dr. Dre).
Anyone who’s been keeping tabs on the college football world in recent years knows that bowl games have started to lose their luster among more and more players who’ve had second thoughts about competing in the contests that have had to grapple with the growing trend of notable names who decline to suit up for what they view as a meaningless game due to the risk of injury.
It’s a bit hard to imagine Snoop Dogg’s new relationship with the Arizona Bowl (which was previously sponsored by Barstool) is going to have a dramatic impact on that status quo, but on Tuesday, the rapper announced the unique perk it will be offering to the players who earn the chance to compete: an NIL check with their name on it.
👀 @SnoopDogg @theARIZONABOWL presented by Gin & Juice by @DreandSnoop is 1st bowl to provide NIL deals for all players on both teams from Mountain West & MAC, @ActionNetwork has learned. Incredible commitment by Snoop for AZ bowl (Dec. 28, 4:30 pm ET)https://t.co/lrjK5dVaFe pic.twitter.com/tMlmWy4ia9
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 28, 2024
As of this writing, it’s unclear how much money the players from the Mountain West and MAC teams who end up getting invited to play in the Arizona Bowl (which will take place on December 28th) will be taking home.
According to Action Network, players won’t have to play in the game to capitalize on the offer (which the bowl’s executive director said was “100% Snoop Dogg’s idea”). With that said, they will be expected to travel to Tucson with their team and will likely have to perform some sort of community service during their time in the city to be eligible.
As I mentioned above, this is the first bowl game to harness NIL money in this manner, but it’s a bit hard to imagine it will be the last now the precedent has been set. Players who get invited to a bowl usually get sent home with a sizeable swag bag, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who wouldn’t be open to some cold, hard cash as well.