Far From Nil
Kimberly has hosted the International Softball Congress World Tournament eleven times, second only to the Quad Cities in Illinois. As a kid, I worked at the tournament by selling Pepsi products to parched fans. In addition to literally seeing the world’s best softball, I also got a free soda and hot dog each shift.
So, I know the excitement that student athletes at Ohio State, Florida and Georgia will feel this year as they receive free Chipotle.
In 2022, the “fast-casual” restaurant chain first partnered with Ohio State University as part of a NIL deal. The arrangement was a result of the NCAA adopting a policy the year before that allowed college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.
The policy came about after California passed the “Fair Pay to Play Act,” the first state law to allow college athletes to receive NIL dollars, and the U.S. Supreme Court decided in NCAA v. Alston that student athletes are not exempt from antitrust laws.
During the 2024-2025 school year, Chipotle began offering about 1,000 students at Ohio State free Mexican-inspired burritos, bowls, tacos, or salads. This year, the program doubled to include kids at Ohio State, Florida and Georgia. Chipotle’s chief brand officer, Chris Brandt, described the promotion as “democratizing NIL for nearly 2,000 student athletes.”
All student athletes at the three schools, including not only scholarship recipients, but also walk-ons, will receive a customized Chipotle card, granting them one free entrée per week for 15 weeks, or the approximate duration of a sports season. The promotion coincides with the first NCAA season where student athletes can be paid directly by their schools, as opposed to from boosters or companies, like Nike or Pepsi.
In addition, Buckeye football players Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles and Carnell Tate will star in a new Chipotle ad this season. Florida quarterback DJ Lagway and former Gators basketball standout Walter Clayton Jr. will be featured in a second spot.
Chipotle indicated that it picked Ohio State, Florida and Georgia to participate in the program because of those schools’ status as three of the top 30 universities that eat the most Chipotle. The chain conducted a survey revealing that 98% of Ohio State student-athletes eat at the restaurant at least once a month, 94% of Florida student-athletes consider Chipotle to be in their top three favorite restaurants, and that nearly 80% of Georgia student-athletes consider Chipotle to be an important part of their training regimen.
“Our restaurants near each of these universities are frequently filled with student athletes looking for a quick and nutritious meal that can help them thrive in the classroom and on the field,” Brandt said. “By expanding our college card program to three universities this academic year, we’re…increasing their access to real food when they need it the most.”
In addition to the NIL program, Chipotle will also contribute to academic programs at Ohio State and Florida. It established a four-year, full-ride scholarship for an in-state student attending Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. It will also provide over $100,000 in undergraduate research awards for students in the agricultural, farming and food programs at Florida’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
If anyone from Culver’s is reading this, they should know that I eat at their restaurant at least once a month, it’s one of my top three favorite restaurants, and that I consider Culver’s to be an important part of my training regimen. And I still have four years of eligibility for college sports.
Reg P. Wydeven
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