"Special college football flights": USC star Caleb Williams jots down new NIL deal with United Airlines
Caleb Williams has recently added United Airlines to his lucrative list of NIL portfolios. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner sealed a season-long agreement with the airline on Friday in what could be his biggest partnership so far as a college athlete.
The deal, facilitated by Smith & Company, will see the USC quarterback feature in a diverse range of United advertising and social media content. The airline has a huge package for the 2023 season and Caleb Williams is seen as the perfect option to promote that.
United will be adding 127 new non-stop flights ahead of 30 games for the upcoming college football season. The airline is also adding flights to more than 15 destinations for the season, including Fayetteville, Colombus and South Bend.
USC QB Caleb Williams has inked an NIL deal with United for the upcoming season: united.com/en/aw/newsroom… pic.twitter.com/BN5qpK6MUs" target="_blank" title="tweet-url" rel="noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/BN5qpK6MUs
In the official announcement of the deal, Caleb Williams expressed his excitement about the partnership with the airline. He noted that there's nothing more exhilarating than the energy from fans and he is happy to promote the newly added flights:
“There’s nothing like the energy you get from seeing the fans in stands and hearing them cheer you on during a big rivalry game, whether that’s at home or on the road.
"I’m excited to collaborate with United Airlines to help spread the news of these special college football flights so fans from all over the country can experience that energy first-hand.”
Following a hugely successful season in 2022, where United Airlines transported over 50,000 passengers to the league's most significant games, the airline is now enhancing its schedule even more.
United senior vice president Patrick Quayle commented on their commitment:
“We’re committed to providing a best-in-class travel experience for our customers, whether they’re traveling around the globe, or flying to see their favorite college football team play.
"We’re pleased to deliver a schedule this season that makes it easy for fans to come together and support their teams on the road.”
I noted this in the story, but United obviously secured IP rights for this deal.
Smart move by the airline. Ensures Caleb Williams can wear USC uniform in every advertisement. twitter.com/On3NIL/status/…
Caleb Williams' NIL value continues to soar
Prior to the United endorsement deal, Williams already boasted one of the biggest NIL contracts in college sports. The new deal will only make his endorsement valuation soar higher. This is what winning Heisman in the NIL era could help a player achieve.
The quarterback's NIL deal is currently valued at $2.6 million by On3. However, a notable increase in the valuation of his contract is expected in the coming days. This could put him ahead of Arch Manning among college football players' NIL ranking.
Caleb Williams currently also has NIL deals with Athletic Brewing Company, Fanatics, Neutrogena, AT&T, Beats by Dre, PlayStation and AC+ION Water.