21
February
2023
|
18:27 PM
Europe/Amsterdam

UScellular Supports Locally Grown Student-Athletes with Name, Image and Likeness Opportunities

CHICAGO (Feb. 21, 2023) – UScellular is supporting eight college athletes through the company’s first Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals since they became allowed by the NCAA in 2021. The wireless carrier worked with two of its existing collegiate partners – the Iowa Hawkeyes and West Virginia Mountaineers – to collaborate with four student-athletes from each school. 

The introduction of NIL provided UScellular a unique opportunity to create a program that aligns to its values and give a platform for student-athletes to tell their individual stories. As “America’s Locally Grown Wireless,” UScellular partnered with student-athletes who are also locally grown, meaning those who stayed in their home state for their college athletic careers. This resulted in four “Locally Grown Hawkeye” collegiate athlete partnerships and four “Locally Grown Mountaineer” collegiate athlete partnerships. To further demonstrate its commitment to diversity and inclusion, UScellular partnered with student-athletes from various sports and provided all of them equal compensation. 

“We love all our collegiate team’s student-athletes, but we can’t help but root even harder for the ones from our home states,” said Shelly Pluta, senior director of brand operations and delivery at UScellular. “It was important for us to highlight a diverse group of athletes, including some who may be less familiar to the community. It has been a pleasure working with all of them, and we know they will be successful in whatever profession they choose after college.” 

UScellular created a video with each student-athlete that incorporates their personal story and why they chose to stay close to home for their college career. The videos are rolling out throughout the year, and UScellular is sharing and promoting them broadly on its social media channels to provide a point of pride for fans and create another connection to the communities it serves. 

Videos of Locally Grown Athletes are available on the UScellular media library

UScellular’s Locally Grown Athletes include: 
• Brody Brecht, Hawkeye baseball and football player 
• Adeline Kenlin, Hawkeye gymnast 
• Delaney McSweeney, Hawkeye volleyball player 
• Kris Murray, Hawkeye basketball player 
• Todd Duncan, Mountaineer golfer 
• Jacqueline McCutcheon, Mountaineer swimmer 
• Dante Stills, Mountaineer football player 
• Catherine Wassick, Mountaineer tennis player 

More news and information about UScellular is available at www.newsroom.uscellular.com

About UScellular
UScellular is the fourth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to help customers stay connected to the things that matter most. The Chicago-based carrier provides a strong, reliable network supported by the latest technology and offers a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers’ lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. Through its After School Access Project, the company has pledged to provide hotspots and service to help up to 50,000 youth connect to reliable internet. Additionally, UScellular has price protected all of its plans, promising not to increase prices through at least the end of 2024. To learn more about UScellular, visit one of its retail stores or www.uscellular.com. To get the latest news, visit newsroom.uscellular.com.