USC Trojans Sign First CBD Sponsorship in College Sports

CBD brand Cookies is newest partner of USC football, men’s and women’s basketball teams

Sep 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Pre-show performance before the USC Trojans vs Utah State Aggies game at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Ahead of their football home opener at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum over the weekend - in which they dominated Utah State 48-0 - the USC athletic department announced their newest sponsor and it was a historic one. The Trojans became the first athletic program in the country to sign a deal with a CBD company, making waves across the industry.

CBD brand Cookies is the latest partner of USC football and men’s and women’s basketball teams and fans will see the brand integrated across the digital channels of those teams and on USC athletics', plus exclusive Cookies promotional items and on-site tailgate experiences will also be available at select events throughout the year. This is the first official partnership for the CBD category in collegiate athletics.

Although the NCAA formally voted to remove Cannabinoids - and its psychoactive THC component - from the banned substances list over the summer, no student-athlete has signed a NIL agreement yet with a brand in that category.

“With the decision to open this category, it was our goal to find the right partner for USC Athletics, and we did just that with Cookies. Cookies is the global leader in CBD but also an innovative brand deep in life-style culture and wellness,” said Drew DeHart, Vice President/General Manager of USC Sports Properties, a branch of Playfly Sports. “We are excited for the Trojans to be a leader in collegiate athletics on and off the field, and today’s announcement continues to showcase just that.”

Cookies - founded in 2010 and headquartered in San Francisco - was represented by Professional Sports Partners in the negotiation with USC. The brand opened their first Los Angeles retail store in 2018 and has since expanded to over 60 locations in over 20 markets across 6 countries. In 2021, they were named one of "America's Hottest Brands" by AdAge, the first cannabis brand to ever receive this accolade.

“Cookies is thrilled to be a sponsor of USC Athletics for the upcoming 2024/2025 season,” said Berner, Co-Founder and CEO of Cookies. “California is our home state and for Cookies to be involved with a premier athletic program, in the oldest private college in the state of California, is incredibly exciting for us. We are honored and excited to be a sponsor and Trojans supporter alongside other globally recognized brands. Fight on!”

No. 11 USC football has a bye week before traveling to Michigan for their first Big Ten Conference game on September 21.