HBCU Athletes Receive MyMcDonald's Rewards NIL Deals Via Postgame

HBCU student-athletes have received NIL deals to promote the MyMcDonald's rewards program via Postgame.

HOUSTON — McDonald's is partnering with over 40 HBCU student-athletes through NIL deals to promote their new MyMcDonald's rewards program. The athletes will be featuring a new frozen slushy, available for a limited time, and the mobile order pay feature offered by the fast food chain on their social media channels.

"We help brands leverage partnerships with these college athletes to drive a marketing activation with a measurable reason," Postgame's CEO Danny Morrissey told HBCU Legends. "It's intentional, brands want to be more inclusive, and they're partnering with athletes from Grambling and other HBCUs."

HBCU Athletes Promoting McDonald's MyRewards

The McDonald's MyRewards promotion features Fisk, Tennessee State, Alabama A&M, and North Carolina A&T athletes to promote via social media accounts. The HBCU student-athletes connected with the McDonald's MyRewards campaign via the expanding NIL agency Postgame. "Working with these athletes is about engaging their surrounding community, too. McDonald's franchisees want HBCU athletes who are like local heroes in their market around the campus. They attend the schools and are celebrities." The business owners aim to connect with the HBCU culture by enabling student-athletes to interact with the nearby community surrounding their campuses.

Postgame provides a free service for HBCU student-athletes to navigate its NIL space to gain lucrative agreements with high-profile companies. Several major brands have recognized the untapped marketing potential of black colleges and are increasing their budgets to appeal to young black consumers through HBCU student-athletes. Adidas, Crocs, Urban Outfitters, Steve Madden, Reebok, IZOD, Taco Bell, and McDonald's have noticed the benefits of engaging talent from HBCUs through the NIL Agency, Postgame.  

HBCU Athletes in the MyMcDonald's Rewards Campaign

• GINA RIVERA-ORTIZ, TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY, VOLLEYBALL
• VICTOYA SMITH, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, TRACK & FIELD
• RALPHAEL HAWKINS, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, TRACK & FIELD
• JOSHUA GREEN, TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY, FOOTBALL
• SHONNYVELLE, REGALADO TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY, BASKETBALL
• KEENAN HAMBRICK, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, FOOTBALL
• MORGAN ALLEN, NC A&T UNIVERSITY, VOLLEYBALL
• ZACHARY YEAGER, NC A&T UNIVERSITY, FOOTBALL
• KORIAN SHARPE, NC A&T UNIVERSITY, FOOTBALL
• DAWSON GROGAN, NC A&T UNIVERSITY, TRACK & FIELD
• ELIJAH BOWICK, NC A&T UNIVERSITY, FOOTBALL
• RONALD GRAVES, NC A&T UNIVERSITY, FOOTBALL
• AUSTIN ALEXANDER, NC A&T UNIVERSITY, FOOTBALL
• CALEB JONES, NC A&T UNIVERSITY, FOOTBALL
• EMAJIN MCCALLOP, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, BASKETBALL
• ERIC BRANNON, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, TRACK & FIELD
• DEAJENE JOHNSON, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, TRACK & FIELD
• ASHLEY TUCKER, JR ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, FOOTBALL
• LESLIE WILLIAMS JONES, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, TRACK & FIELD
• MILES JONES, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, TRACK & FIELD
• KYLE GRAHAM, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, TRACK & FIELD
• KEYSHAWN JOHNSON, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, TRACK & FIELD
• CHARLIE HARPER, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, TRACK & FIELD
• TAYLOR WINGO, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, TRACK & FIELD
• CHAYSE TAPP, TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY, FOOTBALL
• LANCE POWELL, ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY, TRACK & FIELD

*Several other athletes were not disclosed at the time of this report.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SELF-BRANDING

Since 2020, CEO Danny Morrissey has grown Postgame to include over 65,000 athletes on the platform for major brands to access. Student-athletes on Instagram, Tik Tok, and other social media platforms have their influence analyzed by Postgame using data science and proprietary metrics. In reality, athletes can earn hundreds in NIL deals versus the millions we hear in the news. "Some athletes are making some real money," Morrisey remarked on the realities of NIL agreements. We're talking 95 to 99% of all athletes, even at the biggest programs, are only making a couple of thousand dollars from brand deals. Don't get me wrong, that's a lot of money, but it's not hundreds of 1000s as being rumored through reports."

Before leaving the HBCU landscape, Shedeur Sanders was the No. 1 athlete with major NIL contracts valued in the millions. The MEAC's Rayquan Smith has over 80 partnerships with Coach, Eastbay, Boost Mobile, Hardee's, Spikeball, and other brands. He's been nominated for the NIL Summit's 20222 Male Athlete of the Year and Forbes 30 Under 30 awards. Smith tweeted, "I've set the BLUEPRINT of what you can do when you put your mind to it!"

If you're a student-athlete attending a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), you can benefit from the rising popularity of your school by teaming up with an agency like Postgame. Morrissey says his company stands out because it teaches student-athletes how to earn money and enhance their marketing abilities. "We're a digital marketing agency. But athletes should think about this broader. It's marketing and partnering with brands, but it's also marketing themselves and building their brand that's important."

The conclusion is simple. As you hone your talent and enhance your skills at an HBCU, learning how to engage with your audience on social media effectively is essential. It can become a powerful tool for student-athletes to manage their image and shape their brands.