On Wednesday, within Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium, several brand-new Dodge Ram 1500 Big Horn trucks rolled onto the field in a surprise presentation before members of the
Utes football team.
Shortly thereafter, they learned the news: They’re getting a truck.
In one of the most unique and lucrative arrangements of the 27-month-old name, image and likeness era, the Crimson Collective, the NIL group supporting Utah athletics, is presenting a truck to each one of the 85 scholarship members of the football team. The history-making deal is estimated to be in the seven figures. Each truck’s retail price is $61,000.
Funded by collective donations, the trucks will be leased to each player as part of individual six-month contracts that are expected to roll over contingent on a player’s eligibility and enrollment at the university. Leases end when a player’s eligibility expires or they choose to transfer.
The Ken Garff Automotive Group, one of the country’s largest auto dealers, is facilitating the deal with a host of Utah donors from the Crimson Collective. The collective made the announcement Wednesday as part of a new partnership with the collegiate streaming application For The Win 360 (FTW360), whose branding is plastered on the vehicles in an advertising wrap.