Name Image Likeness

Barstool Launches NIL Shirt for UConn's Clingan after National Title Repeat

7'2" Donovan Clingan partners with Barstool Sports immediately following National Championship

Noah Henderson

Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) cuts the cut after defeating the Purdue Boilermakers
Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) cuts the cut after defeating the Purdue Boilermakers / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY

Last night, UConn topped Purdue 75-60 in the national championship game to become the eight program in NCAA history to repeat as national champions. Center Donovan Clingan was instrumental in the dominant 2024 UConn postseason run averaging 15 points and 8 rebounds throughout the Huskies' six march madness games. To celebrate the big man and parlay his recent media attention into merchendise sales, Barstool Sports has entered into a NIL partnership with Clingan. The pervasive digital media company will be offering a "Cling Kong" shirt playing off of the UConn Center's 7'2" 280 lbs. frame. The shirt can be found here.

The shirt was released within minutes of the final buzzer. Barstool owner and founder Dave Portnoy and longstanding company icon Big Cat (Dan Katz) immediately took to X to promote the new shirt. While many brands act quick during March Madness to capitalize on the rapid and fleeting nature of college basketball stardom, none have moved quite as fast as this Barstool campaign.

This merchandise licensing agreement with Barstool may very well be one of the last NIL deals for the big man. Although a decision on entering the draft has yet to be made by Clingan, with many projecting him as a lottery pick in the upcoming 2024 draft, it seems that his NIL days are numbered.

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Noah Henderson

NOAH HENDERSON

Professor Noah Henderson teaches in the sport management department at Loyola University Chicago. Outside the classroom, he advises companies, schools, and collectives on Name, Image, and Likeness best practices. His academic research focuses on the intersection of law, economics, and social consequences regarding college athletics, NIL, and sports gambling. Before teaching, Prof. Henderson was part of a team that amended Illinois NIL legislation and managed NIL collectives at the nation’s most prominent athletic institutions while working for industry leader Student Athlete NIL. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Economics from Saint Joseph’s University, where he was a four-year letter winner on the golf team. Prof. Henderson is a native of San Diego, California, and a former golf CIF state champion with Torrey Pines High School. Outside of athletics, he enjoys playing guitar, hanging out with dogs, and eating California burritos. You can follow him on Twitter: @NoahImgLikeness.