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Under Armour Drafts NIL Basketball Roster for March Madness

Six college basketball stars are part of an historic NIL class for a global sports brand entering the NCAA Tournament.

Michael Ehrlich

UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) reacts after cutting the net after her team defeated the USC Trojans during the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament final game on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. UCLA defeated USC 72-67.
UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) reacts after cutting the net after her team defeated the USC Trojans during the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament final game on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. UCLA defeated USC 72-67. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ahead of the NCAA Tournament taking over the college basketball world for the next month, Under Armour has added to their NIL athlete roster in a big way.

The global sports brand based in Baltimore has signed six college basketball stars — three men and three women — to their squad in anticipation of March Madness.

Joining the likes of stars Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and De'Aaron Fox of the San Antonio Spurs, Kelsey Plum of the Los Angeles Sparks and recently added Nika Mühl of the Seattle Storm are UCLA's Lauren Betts, South Carolina's Te-Hina Paopao, Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge, Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford, Tennessee's Zakai Zeigler and Kansas' Flory Bidunga.

“This roster represents not only some of the top college basketball talent in the country but also the diversity of paths that lead to success," said Sean Eggert, Under Armour’s Senior Vice President of Global Sports Marketing. "These athletes have each had their own unique journeys, and we look forward to amplifying their stories and continuing to support their growth, both on and off the court, as they make their mark during March Madness.”

Under Armour announced their NIL Collegiate Class of 2025 via an Instagram post collaboration between the brand's main account and their basketball handle.

According to the brand, this is the first time that their basketball division has built a NIL roster of this kind, with the players coming from both Under Armour and non-Under Armour sponsored schools across the country.

Bringing together some of the top collegiate talent, Under Armour will celebrate each of these athletes and their paths to success through social media content and storytelling throughout the month of March and into April as the men's and women's NCAA tournaments progress.

Expected All-American Betts (UCLA/Big Ten) and defending National Champion Paopao (South Carolina/SEC) each won their conference tournaments over the weekend, while Pettiford, Zeigler and Bidunga will compete in theirs on the men's side.

Under Armour will find out the NCAA Tournament seedings of their new NIL roster on Selection Sunday on March 16.

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Michael Ehrlich
MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com

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