Maryland football’s Malik Washington’s new NIL deal has positioned him as a new face of Ledo’s Pizza and Pepsi.
The move joins several major forces together — one of the biggest freshman in college football
is now an official partner of one of the biggest pizza chains in the state and one of the biggest beverage producers nationwide.
The move is the first season-long NIL deal with an athlete for PepsiCo, according to reporting from On3. The marketing campaign will involve branding on social media and within SECU Stadium. Ledo’s Pizza was already a fixture at Maryland home games, and Maryland is a Pepsi-only campus, so there will likely be little difference in the offerings aside from a pizza done “Malik’s Way” — covered with hot honey.
This is the first and largest initial expedition from One Maryland NIL, the university’s in-house agency that looks to help its athletes profit on name, image and likeness deals, but it is set to be far from the last.
“This partnership showcases the power of alignment between Athletics, our NIL program, and our corporate partners,” said One Maryland NIL Executive Director Mandy Allendorfer. “We’re proud to help maximize these opportunities for Malik while strengthening the relationships that mean so much to our fans, and building a blueprint for future NIL deals and activations.”
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Maryland football extended an offer to four-star class of 2027 tight end Grant Haviland.
Class of 2027 wide receiver Jordan Carrasquillo received an offer from Maryland football.
