Out2Win

TOP 10 MOST MARKETABLE MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYERS 🏀🔥 With tip-off just a week away, excitement across college basketball is building fast. The next generation of stars is stepping into the spotlight, bringing elite skill, growing social reach, and massive brand potential. These athletes are setting the tone for a new era of NIL visibility and basketball influence heading into the 2025–26 season. #NIL #AthleteMarketing #CollegeBasketball #Out2Win #SportsBusiness

THE MOST MARKETABLE FIELD HOCKEY PLAYERS IN COLLEGE SPORTS 🏑🔥 Introducing the Out2Win Fall 50: Field Hockey Edition — our ranking of the athletes making the biggest impact off the field entering this season, based on the Out2Win Score. These are the players setting the standard for athlete marketing in college sports. 📲Click the link in our bio for the full list!

Out2Win, an AI-powered athlete marketing intelligence platform, raised $1.3M in seed funding to expand its AI capabilities, scale marketing, and enhance platform features. The round included investors such as Patrick Zubrow (Activent Marketing), Michael Golden (Tropion Sports Partners), Barbara Jones (Outshine Talent), and MLS player Daniel Lovitz. Out2Win helps brands, agencies, and universities optimize athlete partnerships using data-driven insights. With over 250,000 collegiate athlete profiles, the platform is trusted by brands like Rhoback and Olipop, offering tools like the proprietary Out2Win Score to benchmark athlete marketability. INVESTORS: Patrick Zubrow, Michael Golden, Barbara Jones, Daniel Lovitz, Michael Gibbons, Michael Schulson & Matt Littman ROUND: Seed AMOUNT: $1,300,000 HQ: #NewYork #NY #NewYorkCity #NYC #VentureCapital #Out2Win #PatrickZubrow #MichaelGolden #BarbaraJones #DanielLovitz #MichaelGibbons #MichaelSchulson #MattLittman #TradedVC

KENNADEE BELNAP: DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH 💎🥎 BYU pitcher Kennadee Belnap is quietly emerging as one of the more interesting long-term marketability risers in college softball. Over the last 6 months, Belnap has posted: • 267% Instagram follower growth • 43.5% engagement rate • 827.5 average Instagram likes That combination matters. Follower growth signals accelerating audience momentum, while engagement at this level points toward an audience that is highly active and invested in her content rather than simply passive followers. With multiple years of college eligibility still remaining, Belnap is positioned with significant long-term brand upside as both her on-field profile and digital presence continue to grow simultaneously. As softball continues expanding its visibility across social media and NIL, athletes building strong audience connection early in their careers are creating valuable long-term positioning for future partnerships and brand opportunities. #NIL #BYU #KennadeeBelnap #AthleteMarketing #CollegeSoftball

OAKLEY’S PLAYERTOPIA CAMPAIGN IS BIGGER THAN SPORTSWEAR🕶️ Oakley’s new “Players Collection” campaign brings together Kylian Mbappé, Jaylen Brown, Justin Jefferson, and Alexia Putellas in a cross-sport activation built around athlete identity, fashion, and cultural influence rather than traditional performance marketing. The campaign also reflects a broader shift in how brands are approaching athlete partnerships. Instead of simply placing athletes into campaigns, Oakley gave them creative ownership through signature products and storytelling tied directly to their personal brands. Jaylen Brown co-designed his own apparel collection and signature eyewear, while Mbappé’s frames include details connected to Bondy, the Paris suburb where he grew up. That level of personalization matters. Mbappé brings one of the largest global audiences in sports. Brown represents a growing intersection between basketball, fashion, and independent athlete entrepreneurship. Justin Jefferson has become one of the NFL’s most visible personalities, while Alexia Putellas continues to help expand the global commercial ceiling of women’s soccer. Together, the campaign positions Oakley at the center of multiple global fan ecosystems simultaneously: NBA. NFL. Global football. Women’s football. Fashion. Streetwear culture. The result feels less like a standard eyewear launch and more like a long-term athlete universe built around personality and cultural relevance. As athlete branding continues evolving beyond highlights and endorsements, campaigns like this show how sportswear companies are increasingly building around influence, identity, and audience crossover at a global scale. #NIL #AthleteMarketing #SportsBusiness #Oakley #Out2Win

THE WNBA IS BACK🏀🔥 From established superstars to a new wave of breakout personalities, the league enters the 2026 season with some of the most marketable athletes in all of sports. The Top 10 features a mix of elite performance, massive digital audiences, strong engagement, and proven brand appeal, led by Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and Caitlin Clark at the top of the Out2Win Score rankings. The next generation is already making its presence felt as well. Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd enter the league with major existing fanbases and built-in NIL momentum from the college level, accelerating the commercial growth of the WNBA in real time. Meanwhile, established stars like A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu continue to prove that long-term brand value in women’s basketball extends far beyond the court. The result is a league entering a new phase of visibility: More fan attention. More sponsor investment. More athlete-driven brands. And more crossover into mainstream culture than ever before. Who takes over the season this year? #NIL #AthleteMarketing #SportsBusiness #WNBA #Out2Win

VJ MAXX x TJ MAXX🔥🏀 What started as a fan-created nickname has officially turned into a brand partnership. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe teamed up with TJ Maxx and LeagueFits for a playoff push campaign built entirely around the viral “VJ Maxx” nickname that’s taken over Sixers social media this season. The activation worked because it never felt manufactured. Fans created the nickname organically as the chemistry between Maxey and Edgecombe exploded on the court, and TJ Maxx leaned into it instead of trying to force a new narrative. That timing matters. The campaign launched entering the NBA postseason, with the duo quickly becoming one of the league’s most talked-about young backcourts. Just days later, Maxey and Edgecombe combined for 53 points in a game 7 playoff win over Boston, continuing to build momentum around the partnership and the “VJ Maxx” identity. It’s another example of where athlete marketing continues to move: The strongest campaigns are no longer built in boardrooms first. They’re being pulled directly from fan culture, internet conversation, and organic audience behavior. #NIL #AthleteMarketing #NBAPlayoffs #VJEdgecombe #TyreseMaxey

BIGGEST BRANDS IN THE BRACKET🥍 The NCAA Tournament field is loaded with elite programs, but these five stand above the rest from a marketability standpoint. UNC leads the bracket with the largest combined athlete following, powered by stars like Owen Duffy and Caden Harshbarger, while Syracuse continues to convert the Joey Spallina effect into one of the sport’s strongest overall team brands. Virginia’s rise is fueled by the Millon brothers and one of the most exciting young cores in the country, Notre Dame remains a national force behind its championship pedigree and star power, and Penn State’s elite engagement reflects one of the most passionate digital fanbases in the sport. 💡 Why it matters: Program Strength Drives Athlete Value The strongest team brands often create the biggest platforms for athlete growth. When programs command attention nationally, their athletes benefit from more exposure, larger audiences, and stronger NIL opportunities. Star Power Concentrates at the Top From Joey Spallina to Owen Duffy to Brendan and McCabe Millon, the tournament’s biggest programs continue to attract and develop the players driving lacrosse’s marketability forward. As the sport grows, the programs winning the attention battle off the field will have a major advantage in building the next generation of star athletes. #NIL #AthleteMarketing #CollegeLacrosse #SportsBusiness #BrandPartnerships

FROM PAGE TO SUIT✍️⚡ Sharpie extended its partnership with 2026 “Rookie of the Year” Jeremiyah Love by bringing his “Jeremonstar” comic universe to life through a fully integrated Draft Night activation, featuring a custom illustrated suit, limited-edition comic release, and fan giveaway tied to National Free Comic Book Day. Rather than forcing a traditional draft-week campaign, the collaboration leaned directly into Love’s existing identity around anime, comics, and storytelling — making the partnership feel authentic to both football audiences and internet culture. The attention translated across social: • 18.57% Instagram follower growth since the draft • 25.56% TikTok follower growth since the draft As the No. 3 overall pick, Love is also reportedly set to sign a four-year deal worth over $50 million fully guaranteed with the Arizona Cardinals, making him the highest guaranteed-paid running back in NFL history. That level of visibility, combined with immediate financial relevance and growing audience momentum, creates significant long-term brand potential beyond the field. More athlete partnerships are starting to shift toward world-building instead of standard endorsement — creating campaigns fans can interact with, collect, and follow beyond the game itself. #NIL #AthleteMarketing #SportsBusiness #NFLDraft #JeremiyahLove

NCAA TOURNAMENT SPOTLIGHT: MAGGIE DRIVER🥍 Penn State’s defense is anchored by one of the biggest brands in women’s lacrosse. First Team All-Big Ten defender Maggie Driver has paired elite on-field production with one of the strongest commercial portfolios in the sport, building a sponsorship roster that spans performance, wellness, nutrition, and lifestyle brands. With 390.5K total followers and partnerships across brands like Gymshark, CeraVe, CLIF, and Athleta, Driver enters tournament play as one of the most marketable athletes in the women’s lacrosse landscape. As Penn State pushes deeper into May, expect Driver’s platform to keep growing. Tournament exposure has become one of the fastest accelerators for athlete marketability in college sports. #NIL #AthleteMarketing #CollegeLacrosse #SportsBusiness #BrandPartnerships

WHAT MICHAEL OLISE’S BREAKOUT TELLS US ABOUT 2026🌎📈 Over Bayern’s Champions League knockout run, Michael Olise delivered three marquee performances against Real Madrid and PSG, totaling 2 goals and 1 assist and fueling: +1.7M followers in 3 weeks +60.71% follower growth That growth came on club soccer’s biggest stage — but the World Cup operates on an even larger scale. The 2024 Champions League Final drew approximately 145M viewers. The average match at the 2022 FIFA World Cup drew roughly 175M viewers. The 2022 World Cup Final alone peaked at 570.8M viewers and reached nearly 1.5B globally. Now add in the 2026 context: An expanded tournament format means more nations, more matches, and more fanbases involved than ever before. And for the first time since 1994, the World Cup returns to a United States market where soccer fandom is rapidly accelerating and still comparatively untapped. That creates a uniquely favorable environment for player brand acceleration. If a Champions League knockout run can produce this level of audience growth, the 2026 World Cup presents an even larger platform for players to elevate into global mainstream relevance. For brands, the window to identify and align with the next breakout international stars is already open. #2026FIFAWorldCup #MichaelOlise #BayernMunich #AthleteMarketing #SportsBusiness

THE TOP 5 MOST BRAND-ACTIVE SOFTBALL TEAMS 🥎 These are the five most brand active softball teams in the country over the last six months, led by Texas with a commanding 74 sponsored posts. Washington, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Oklahoma round out a group showing just how quickly softball’s commercial landscape is expanding. 💡 The Story Behind The Numbers: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 Texas’ lead is powered in part by All SEC outfielder Ashton Maloney, whose partnership with Motorola has helped fuel the Longhorns’ sponsorship output. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 Washington freshman catcher Ally Hetzel has already landed deals with CVS, Trader Joe’s, Adidas, and C4, showing brands are investing in impact players earlier than ever. 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥’𝐬 𝐍𝐈𝐋 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐈𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 The depth of activity across multiple programs signals a broader shift from isolated star deals to program wide commercial ecosystems. #NIL #AthleteMarketing #CollegeSoftball #SportsBusiness #BrandPartnerships