Amir "Aura" Khan, McNeese State Manager, Gets Trading Card
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McNeese State Cowboys' Men's Basketball manager Amir Khan has written himself into March Madness lore. The manager, known as "Aura" has gone viral through a series of videos showing the charming Khan leading the Cowboys out of the locker room before games, with a boombox blasting music and the team following his lead.
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𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍: We’re excited to announce we’ve signed an NIL deal with McNeese State University’s very own @amirk_23.
— Topps (@Topps) March 21, 2025
Legendary team manager Amir “Aura” Khan now has his very own trading cards. pic.twitter.com/3i6etSxlzK
Following the Cowboys' upset defeat of Clemson in the first round of the tournament, Khan got his Bowman U Now Moment, appearing on a trading card with the caption 'Amir "Aura" Khan Rallies Cowboys to 1st Ever March Madness Victory.' Khan is also the first student-manager to sign an NIL deal. The card image itself is a fun one, showing Khan in the midst of the team's celebration in the locker room following the first-round win.
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Khan's personality and work ethic as student-manager have endeared him to the McNeese State men's basketball program. Khan is in his second year as a manager for McNeese State.
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Khan showed up for McNeese's second round battle against Purdue in a custom yellow track suit with the name AURA emblazoned across the back.
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McNeese State student manager Amir Khan - the first student manager in college hoops to receive an NIL deal - is wearing a custom “AURA” jumpsuit as his #12 @McNeeseMBB warms up ahead of their Round of 32 game against #4 @BoilerBall 🔥@WEEI @WWLAMFM #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/D1idmikDpq
— Tom Carroll (@yaboiTCfresh) March 22, 2025
The card is an interesting move from Bowman U Now. This is the first time that March Madness trading cards are being released throughout the tournament, and capturing McNeese State's victory through the story of its manager is a fun experiment in having the cards tell the story of March Madness. It will be intriguing to see where the print run for this card lands.
Michael Terry is a writer based in Brooklyn. He specializes in sports, culture, and collecting. His work has appeared at Topps RIPPED, ESPN, Grantland, Vice Sports, and more.
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