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California Powerhouse Mater Dei Signs First High School Multimedia Deal

Playfly Sports announces historic 10-year partnership with Southern California high school athletic power.

Michael Ehrlich

May 24, 2022; Santa Ana, California USA; The high school jerseys and Heisman trophies of John Huarte of Notre Dame (1964), Matt Leinart of Southern California (2004) and Bryce Young of Alabama (2021) on display during the Mater Dei High Heisman Homecoming ceremony at the Meruelo Athletic Center.
May 24, 2022; Santa Ana, California USA; The high school jerseys and Heisman trophies of John Huarte of Notre Dame (1964), Matt Leinart of Southern California (2004) and Bryce Young of Alabama (2021) on display during the Mater Dei High Heisman Homecoming ceremony at the Meruelo Athletic Center. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As high school athletics continues to evolve in the NIL era, a Southern California perennial power has made history with a new partnership off the field.

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) — home to more Heisman Trophy winners than any other high school in the country — announced the first-ever multimedia rights agreement between an individual high school and a third-party partner.

The Monarchs signed a 10-year partnership with Playfly Sports to enhance sponsorship opportunities, media exposure and fan engagement, while continuing to set the mark for high school athletic excellence across the country.

Playfly currently works with more than 27 collegiate athletic departments and plans to deliver similar revenue growth and brand partnerships to Mater Dei that they do for the likes of Auburn, LSU, Nebraska, Penn State and USC, among others.

“Playfly’s explosive growth is driven by their unique expertise in monetization and fan engagement. We welcomed the opportunity to team up in further elevating the Mater Dei brand,” said Khaled Holmes, Mater Dei Director of Development, Athletics. “Having had the chance to continue my athletic career at USC and in the NFL, I understand how innovative initiatives enhance the student-athlete experience. This alliance not only supports our student-athletes in new and exciting ways but also reinforces our commitment to leading the way in high school athletics.”

Mater Dei's football program has won five national championships since 2017 — including this past season — and their alumni include Heisman Trophy winning trio John Huarte (Notre Dame), Matt Leinart (USC) and Bryce Young (Alabama), Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions plus Katie Lou Samuelson of the WNBA's Seattle Storm, former WNBA guard Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Olympic water polo player McQuin Baron and NBA player Stanley Johnson, among other former Monarch athletes across their 28 programs.

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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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