UT basketball player cements Dunkin' NIL deal in latest student-athlete partnership
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — America runs on Dunkin' and so, too, does Dillon Mitchell, a University of Texas at Austin basketball player.
Mitchell is one of 38 student-athletes collaborating with the national coffee chain via its Team Dunkin name, image and likeness (NIL) partnership.
As part of the deal, Mitchell will participate in Dunkin's social media posts and debut Team Dunkin'-themed merch on and off the court. Mitchell's favorite Dunkin' drink will also be highlighted at a participating Dunkin' shop in Austin, per a Dunkin' news release.
“College sports fans are as passionate about their teams as they are about Dunkin’. That’s why the brand is supporting college athletes on and off the field through Team Dunkin’,” Dunkin' field marketing manager Shannon Durkin said in the release.
The coffee chain first began student-athlete partnerships in February 2022. Mitchell is one of the latest UT student-athletes to jump on an NIL opportunity, joining the ranks of others like Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson, who announced in late December his plans to enter the NFL Draft.
While America — and Mitchell — run on Dunkin', the coffee chain has a relatively limited presence in Central Texas compared to other parts of the country. There are 11 Dunkin' locations in the greater Austin metro.
Mitchell and the Longhorns advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008 with wins over Colgate and Penn State in the first and second round.
The No. 2 seed Longhorns face No. 3 Xavier Friday in the Midwest Regional semifinals in Kansas City, Missouri.