SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – In what is believed to be the largest teamwide NIL agreement in collegiate women’s sports, the Utah Crimson Collective surprised its athletes again by announcing a landmark agreement honoring the University of Utah’s women’s and men’s basketball and women’s gymnastics teams.
The athletes get a choice of receiving a lease for a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Edition or a 2024 Ram 1500 Big Horn truck, complete with the Night Edition package.
“I didn’t see this coming,” said Utah women’s basketball player Dasia Young. “This is the best Christmas present ever.”
“It’s so exciting,” added men’s basketball player Branden Carlson. “We’re super grateful to the Crimson Collective for getting this all together with us. I think everyone is excited.”
When the Utah football team received trucks on October, there was some criticism about the women’s teams not getting anything, but this was in the works by the Crimson Collective the whole time.
“This is such a big deal for women’s programs,” Young said. “Just the credit we deserve equal to the men, this is clearly showing how much the Crimson Collective and our athletic department love us.”
“Having the support from the Crimson Collective in a male dominant industry is great,” added gymnast Alani Sabado. “As females, we’ve set a standard that women are supposed to be equal.”
“As a former University of Utah gymnast, it’s incredibly meaningful for me to support our female student-athletes, as well as our talented young men,” said Nicole Mouskondis, board member of Crimson Collective. “When we began with the Crimson Collective, we envisioned an equitable platform that supports and connects all student-athletes, and particularly our women’s teams.”
This is bound to do wonders for recruiting as well, knowing if you come to Utah, you’re getting brand new truck.
“It’s definitely a sway,” Sabado said. “Utah has a lot of support with the Crimson Collective and the university itself, that it stands out and makes it a unique program.”
And these cars are very much needed by these athletes.
“I have a 1998 Ford Ranger,” Sabado said. “It’s pretty sturdy, but in the snow it slips and slides, so this is something safer.”
“I was sharing a car with my wife, so it’s going to be nice not to have to do that now,” Carlson said. “She’s very happy about this.”
So which one are they going to choose, the truck or the Jeep?
“I don’t think I can park that truck,” Young said. “For everybody else’s safety and those curves out there, I think I might just stick to the Jeep.”
