JuJu Watkins and USC Women Agree to First-of-Its-Kind NIL Deal With Chipotle

JuJu Watkins and her USC Trojans women's basketball teammates have signed a first-of-its-kind NIL deal with Chipotle.

USC Trojans women's basketball team posing outside of a local Chipotle. / Mandatory Credit - Chipotle

USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins is one of the most recognizable collegiate athletes in the country.

Not only has she found success on the court, helping lead her team to the Elite Eight as a freshman, but she is also cashing in off the court. NIL deals are rolling in regularly for her, as she has agreements with some huge companies such as Nike, State Farm, Gatorade and Celcius this year alone.

While those are solo contracts, her newest venture is one that the rest of the Women of Troy roster is cashing in on along with Watkins.

Chipotle has announced that they are partnering with the entire USC women’s basketball team for an NIL deal. It is the first time that the company has agreed to a deal with an entire team, not just individual players.

This isn’t the first time that the major fast-casual restaurant chain has dipped into the world of NIL with a first-of-its-kind deal. At the end of August, they announced a partnership with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Any student-athlete, whether they are on scholarship or a walk-on athlete, would receive a customized card that would enable them to receive one free entree per week for as long as they were in season.

When considering that there are over 1,000 student-athletes at the school and the cards were active for about 15-week periods, that is a lot of food Chipotle was giving out as part of the NIL deal.

Partnerships between the company and Ohio State date back to 2022.

The women's basketball department is certainly hoping this is a deal that will be here for the long run, as it can be used as a perk during pitches to recruits.

There is one major difference between the deals each school had. USC’s women’s basketball team will receive a VIP card that enables them to access free food regularly.

As part of the deal, players will be featured in marketing initiatives from Chipotle throughout the 2024-25 college basketball season. In the near future, the go-to meals of the players on the team will be featured as items exclusively available digitally on the app or website.

Watkins’s favorite meal is a bowl that includes white rice, chicken, fresh tomato salsa, fajita vegetables, cheese, guacamole and sour cream.

“We’re always training hard and staying active, so having a meal option that’s both delicious and packed with protein is perfect for recovering after workouts,” said JuJu Watkins, via the press release. “Chipotle is also a great spot for the team to bond. It’s super convenient being so close to our practice facility, making it an easy go-to for us to grab a quick meal together and connect.”

This falls under the Real Food for Real Athletes platform that Chipotle has with a focus on refueling athletes properly with real food that tastes good and includes real, fresh ingredients.

“Our restaurants not only provide proper nutrition for elite athletes, but as the USC women’s basketball team has exemplified, we are also a place where teammates can create memories together,” said Chris Brandt, Chief Brand Officer at Chipotle. “This USC team’s tight-knit culture is a major reason why they’re one of the top basketball programs in the country.”

The Chipotle restaurant on South Figueroa Street in Los Angeles has become a popular destination for players on the team to eat and hang out, developing chemistry on and off the court.