BYU Cougars Basketball Star Highlights Famous Tater Tots Legacy in Creative NIL Deal

BYU Cougars basketball forward Richie Saunders is using his famous family name to his advantage in an NIL deal that ties into March Madness.

Maddy Hudak | Mar 20, 2025

Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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BYU Cougars

After ESPN revealed last week that BYU Cougars basketball star Richie Saunders is the great-grandson of a famous founder and inventor, the standout forward is now capitalizing on that publicity with an NIL deal.

As the No. 6 seed Cougars prepare to face the VCU Rams in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Saunders is giving an opportunity for fans to fuel up.

Saunders’ great-grandfather, F. “Nephi” Griggs, is the founder of Ore-Ida and the inventor of the Tater Tot. Ore-Ida has officially signed the "Tater Tot Heir" to an NIL deal ahead of their debut in March Madness.

In an ode to his great-grandfather, who founded and invented one of the world’s most beloved fried potato varieties 70 years ago, Saunders is looking to bring fans nationwide together through a mutual love of tater tots.

For each game BYU wins in the March Madness tournament, Ore-Ida will give away free Tater Tots nationwide immediately following the game.

Should the Cougars best the Rams, the "TOT Clock" will kick in after the game with an official run time of 30 minutes following the final buzzer.

Fans can click the link through the Ore-Ida Instagram bio to claim their free tots.

In the press release shoot that Saunders did to promote the name, image, and likeness opportunity, he did a creative take on the classic shot of Michael Jordan in his rookie year with Nike, emulating him down to the shoes and the basketball—except for the addition of Ore-Ida Tater Tots.

BYU Cougars college basketball player Richie Saunders in black shirt holding tater tots and ball for NIL deal.

Credit: ALISON BROD MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS

It's intriguing to see a player who kept this somewhat hidden, or at least didn't outwardly promote it himself, in the national branding space.

Perhaps Saunders wanted his basketball legacy to be focused on that to start off, but now that the secret's out, it's a smart move to capitalize on a heightened right of publicity with famous heritage.

Not all players are going to have a family member who was a famous inventor of a nationwide brand. However, it shows the importance of finding NIL deals that represent the person behind the player.

It also follows a growing trend of fan engagement with NIL opportunities, making it more palatable to ask for potential donations down the line when these types of deals allow for the players to give back to their supporters.

Despite the unintentional spotlight, Saunders was quick to utilize that time—which can be fleeting—to ink a special deal ahead of their important game.

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