Ohio State Buckeyes Agree To Deal With Major Fast Casual Restaurant Chain

The Ohio State University has worked out a first-of-its-kind partnership that all student-athletes can benefit from.

Madison Greene of Ohio State Women's Basketball, Ella Wrobel of Ohio State Women's Volleyball, and TreVeyon Henderson of Ohio State Football pose with their customized Chipotle cards. / Chipotle PR

The Ohio State Buckeyes have found no issues when it comes to navigating the new landscape of collegiate sports with NIL collectives. They have several players who are earning a lot of money on NIL deals, and a new partnership enables them to benefit in another way.

It was announced that Ohio State is partnering with Chipotle for a unique deal. For the 2024-25 school year, every scholarship and walk-on athlete will receive a customized card that enables them to get one free entree per week for the entirety of their respective seasons.

With about 1,000 athletes at the school, and 15-week periods for the cards, that is a lot of entrees that Chipotle will be giving out to Buckeyes. 

The love for the Mexican fast-casual restaurant runs deep in Columbus. They are in the top five when it comes to four-year universities consuming Chipotle.

“With so many Buckeyes routinely visiting our High Street restaurant on campus and our strong connection to the Columbus community with a Restaurant Support Center in the Arena District, we wanted to pursue a partnership that would increase access to real food for all student athletes at OSU,” said Chris Brandt, Chief Brand Officer at Chipotle said in the press release. “Typically, only a few star athletes secure NIL deals and brand partnerships, but we wanted to reward all Buckeyes with real ingredients to support their pursuit of academic and athletic excellence.” 

Ohio State and Chiptole have been collaborating on partnerships over the last few years with NIL booming. They created videos in 2022 and 2023 that featured Buckeyes football players and the same was done this year.

Running back TreVeyon Henderson, cornerback Denzel Burke and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith were featured in this year’s video. Narrating is the legendary Archie Griffin.

In 2022, it was Henderson and the team’s offensive line that was featured in the first NIL deal for Chipotle. Henderson is a three-time participant, as he was also in the 2023 video along with other Ohio State football stars.

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“We are thrilled for this continued partnership with Chipotle,” said Ohio State’s Assistant Athletic Director of NIL, Logan Hittle. “This collaboration highlights our commitment to helping student-athletes thrive both on and off the playing surface while partnering with a brand that shares our passion for excellence and authenticity.”

Getting every athlete involved in an NIL deal is a great move by Ohio State. Walk-ons are just as important to the success of the sports programs at the school and deserve some recognition as well, which Chipotle is providing them with this gesture.