In a historic move that could reshape the landscape of collegiate sports sponsorships, the California-based cannabis brand Cookies has inked a three-year partnership with the University of Southern California (USC). This unprecedented deal marks the first time an NCAA team has officially partnered with a cannabis company, positioning Cookies’ branding on USC merchandise and throughout the iconic Coliseum during games.
Cookies’ founder and CEO, Gilbert “Berner” Milam Jr., spearheaded the partnership, highlighting its significance as a milestone achieved amidst stringent advertising restrictions faced by cannabis companies across major platforms. While the NCAA, traditionally conservative in its advertising partners, still lists marijuana as a prohibited substance in official guidelines, the deal focuses on Cookies’ CBD and wellness products, showcasing the widely recognized Cookies brand logo associated with the cannabis sector.
This partnership navigates through unclear promotional guidelines within the NCAA, hinting at a potential shift in the association’s stance on cannabis-related advertising. While official confirmations remain absent, the ambiguity raises questions about whether this could pave the way for other cannabis firms to enter the lucrative college sports marketing arena.
Experts like Jim Andrews, a sports marketing authority at Northwestern University, believe this could unlock significant new revenue streams for collegiate sports, which are facing pressure to diversify their funding sources. Cookies’ strategy includes engaging fans with tailgating events and digital advertisements at USC home games, introducing the cannabis brand to a diverse audience. The partnership emphasizes CBD products only, without promoting THC-containing products, but the shared branding between Cookies’ cannabis and wellness lines blurs these distinctions for the public.
This visibility has not been met without controversy, as critics raise concerns about promoting cannabis on campuses where many students are underage. However, Cookies president Parker Berling addressed these concerns, highlighting the existing precedent of alcohol sponsorships in college sports. “I don’t know why alcohol companies can sponsor major universities, but cannabis companies cannot,” Berling stated.
The partnership between Cookies and USC could signal a transformative era for sponsorship strategies in college sports, driven by evolving legal and societal perspectives on cannabis. This move has the potential to open doors for other cannabis companies to enter the college sports landscape, creating a new era of revenue streams for athletic programs while igniting ongoing discussions surrounding the role of cannabis in American society.
