(Bloomberg) -- Duke University basketball star Cooper Flagg has signed an endorsement deal with PepsiCo Inc.’s Gatorade as the 17-year-old freshman racks up sponsors ahead of his long-awaited college debut.
Flagg, the top recruit in the nation, is the most hyped prospect to step on the hardwood at Duke in years, and those expectations have led to agreements with brands such as New Balance sneakers and New Era caps. As part of the arrangement with Gatorade, he’ll appear in the brand’s upcoming marketing efforts.
The sports drink endorsement battle is heating up. As Gatorade scoops up basketball stars, Coca-Cola Co.’s Powerade is making its own inroads within college sports as it realigns around NCAA athletes, signing dozens of top football players earlier this year.
Basketball is a “tentpole sport” for Gatorade, which looks to sign fewer but bigger stars, said Jeff Kearney, head of sports marketing at Gatorade.
Gatorade’s endorsement roster now includes basketball stars Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Jayson Tatum. Earlier this month, the brand added University of Southern California standout JuJu Watkins as well.
“We have a longstanding history of taking big bets on generational young talent early in their careers,” Kearney said. “The NCAA NIL guidelines have given us the ability to sign athletes even earlier in their careers, but our approach hasn’t really changed.”
Flagg is expected to take the court in his first NCAA game on Nov. 4, when Duke begins its season against the University of Maine.
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