In the NIL world, teams and players are allowed to sign deals with almost any company that makes sense.
The Howard Bison women’s basketball team is the latest in that regard, having signed a NIL deal to make Black Girl Vitamins the team’s official supplement, according to Essence’s Jasmine Brownlee.
The HBCU is celebrating 50 years of women’s athletics at the school this season.
“We are so excited about this partnership! Black Girl Vitamins is a huge supporter of those making a positive impact in the Black community and beyond, and has created a brand and products that promote our health and well-being,” said Head Coach Ty Grace. “We look forward to great things happening in the future!”
Grace played nine seasons at Howard University, compiling a 136-127 record with two MEAC regular season championships and one conference tournament win.
“Since our founding, Black Girl Vitamins has been at the forefront of promoting health and wellness within the Black community, offering a variety of vitamins tailored specifically to the nutritional requirements of Black women,” the company said in a press release. “To further our commitment to education, we award $1,000 in scholarships each month to outstanding Black female students. In addition to our monthly scholarship program, Black Girl Vitamins has committed to awarding up to $100,000 this year to advance the careers of Black healthcare workers, because when Black women are healthy, our communities are healthy.”
The Bisons have been at the forefront of NIL with their group, Mecca Society, and earlier this month, track and field star Darci Khan announced she had signed with WWE.
“Launching the NIL Collective, a university centerpiece, will further increase our student-athletes’ NIL income potential, and with the help of myNILpay, our passionate fan base and alumni network now have a hassle-free platform to support our Bison family,” board member Eric Grant said in a statement last year. “While this is just the beginning, it’s clear that our student-athletes have the brightest future of any in collegiate sports, and we urge all Bison fans to support our student-athletes through the myNILpay app.”
NIL is especially important to HBCU programs, allowing an influx of funds to schools and players who have long been denied a fair shot.
