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Express Signs New Class of NIL Partners, First Female Athletes

Ohio State duo Jacy Sheldon and Kaia Henderson joined by Kentucky's DJ Wagner and Duke's Tyrese Proctor on Express roster

Michael Ehrlich

Express Signs New Class of NIL Partners, First Female Athletes
Express Signs New Class of NIL Partners, First Female Athletes /
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Ahead of March Madness, fashion brand Express has expanded their NIL roster in a big way, partnering with college basketball players for the first time. Ohio State duo Jacy Sheldon and Kaia Henderson - Express' first female athlete endorsers - are joined by Kentucky's DJ Wagner and Duke's Tyrese Proctor as new partners of the brand's collegiate athlete style ambassador program.

Through social media content over the next month - via athlete and brand channels plus paid media - Sheldon, Henderson, Wagner, and Proctor will highlight their off-court style and favorite Express products including women’s Luxe Comfort inclusive of Body Contour and men’s Perfect Pima. 

Express revealed this new NIL partners today via an Instagram post to their 1.4 million followers.

Per the brand, each of these four partners embody Express' mission of building confidence through personal style. With the expansion into female athletes, Express continues the goal of reaching and inspiring fashion enthusiasts through unique and creative partnerships.

"I would advise my younger self to dream big," Sheldon shared. "I would also tell her that if you work hard enough you can accomplish more than you think." 

“To me, confidence means embracing and believing in yourself, accepting and loving who you are," Henderson added. "It is the inner strength that allows me to face anything head on. Confidence is also supporting and uplifting women, celebrating all of our successes. A great outfit makes me feel powerful, positive, and stylish."

Express' connection to Buckeye athletes like Sheldon and Henderson runs deep. In 2022, the Columbus-based fashion brand partnered with former Ohio State stars C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba on NIL campaigns before they took their talents to the NFL.

Wagner, one of the top freshman players in the country and a potential top 2024 NBA Draft pick, adds Express to his growing list of NIL partners that includes Nike.

"To me, confidence just means believing in yourself no matter what you do, whether that's sports, or dressing up, just having faith in yourself," Wagner said.

In December 2023, Express signed their first high school athlete in quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer of Olentangy High School (Lewis Center, Ohio) outside of Columbus, who is now at Penn State.

Sheldon, Henderson, Wagner, and Proctor will all be featured athletes over the next month in college basketball's men's and women's tournaments. 

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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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