Celebrity Names: Yaxel Lendeborg, Keaton Wagler, Breya Cunningham, Tarris Reed Jr., Ashlynn Shade, Sarah Graves, Coen Carr, Elliot Cadeau, Koa Paet, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Jessica Timmons, Morez Johnson Jr., Mir McLean, Reagan Bender
Brand Name: Wendy’s
Deal Type: Multi-Athlete NIL Brand Partnership / Sponsorship
Announced: Early April 2026
Impact: First-ever performance-activated, real-time NIL campaign in college basketball history; triggers deals live the moment an athlete dunks during March Madness
- Wendy’s has assembled a 14+ athlete “Dunk Team” as the Official Dunks Partner of NCAA March Madness, anchored by four pre-signed stars: Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, Texas Longhorn Breya Cunningham, and UConn standout Sarah Strong, representing both men’s and women’s basketball equally.
- Wendy’s is pioneering real-time NIL, signing additional college athletes live mid-tournament the instant they throw down a dunk, in what agency partner VML calls a “performance-activated” deal model that flips traditional endorsement logic on its head.
- The campaign’s crown jewel is the “Free Dunk for America” offer: when the first dunk occurs during either the 2026 Women’s or Men’s NCAA Championship Game, Wendy’s unlocks a free small Hot & Crispy Fries and Frosty offer for the entire country, redeemable in-restaurant on April 7.
- This isn’t just sports marketing, it’s a business recovery play. Wendy’s recently posted a U.S. same-store sales decline of 11.3%, its worst in at least 20 years, and the Dunks campaign directly leverages the brand’s core menu strength, its sides, to drive a national moment.
Wendy’s is rewriting the NIL playbook for March Madness.
As the Official Dunks Partner of the NCAA, the fast-food chain has assembled a “Dunk Team” of college basketball stars, including Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, Texas Longhorn Breya Cunningham, and UConn’s Sarah Strong, signing them to NIL deals tied directly to on-court dunks during the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
The campaign was created with VML, and flips the traditional NIL model entirely: instead of brands chasing follower counts, Wendy’s signs athletes the instant they dunk, making every in-game slam a live brand activation moment.
This kind of bold, performance-first endorsement approach mirrors the momentum seen in big multi-athlete campaigns like Fernando Mendoza, Carnell Tate, Caleb Downs & 11 More Joining Adidas’ 2026 NFL Rookie Class.
Beyond the headline four, the Dunk Team roster grew significantly during tournament play. Michigan State’s Coen Carr, who posted 21 points and 10 rebounds, including back-to-back dunks, was a natural addition, alongside Michigan teammate Morez Johnson Jr., who averaged 13.2 points and 7.3 rebounds and became a crucial piece of the Wolverines’ Final Four run.
Elliot Cadeau, the North Carolina transfer who delivered 10 assists in Michigan’s Elite Eight demolition of Tennessee, also joined the roster. Arizona’s Koa Peat scored 20 points against Purdue in the West Regional Final, punctuating the win with a signature dunk, while Boilermaker Trey Kaufman-Renn made his mark with a tournament-winning tip-in in the Sweet 16.
On the women’s side, Ashlynn Shade of UConn brought her national championship pedigree to the team alongside teammate Strong, while Maryland graduate guard Mir McLean, named team captain by her teammates this season, posted 19 points in the Terrapins’ first-round tournament win.
Alabama’s Jessica Timmons, the 2026 All-SEC Second Team honoree who was selected for the Lilly Women’s College All-Star Game and scored 21 points in the Tide’s opener, also landed a spot.
Louisville’s Reagan Bender rounded out the Cardinals’ representation on the team, and perhaps the most compelling story of the entire tournament joined too: Sarah Graves, the Texas Longhorns walk-on-turned-fan-favorite who hit a clutch shot in the Elite Eight and went viral across the country, earned her Wendy’s NIL deal the same way she earned everything else, by doing the work when it counted.
Tarris Reed Jr., UConn’s senior center who entered the Dunk Team ahead of the Final Four, already held NIL deals with Randy Wise Automotive, CVS Pharmacy, and New Era before adding Wendy’s.
Wagler’s NIL value sits around $1.5 million, with active deals including TurboTax, CVS, and NBA 2K, making Wendy’s yet another blue-chip brand adding to his growing portfolio.
Lendeborg, the Big Ten Player of the Year who signed a $2 million NIL package with Michigan, has become one of the most versatile and decorated players in college basketball, and his Wendy’s alignment adds consumer brand exposure ahead of his NBA Draft debut.
Strong already held NIL deals with Unrivaled, the Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier-founded 3-on-3 pro league, as one of just 14 active college players signed to the groundbreaking program.
Wendy’s has a history of high-profile college athlete NIL partnerships, most notably with former USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who partnered with the brand during his Heisman Trophy-winning tenure before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Takeaways
Here’s what makes this campaign genuinely game-changing: Wendy’s didn’t just buy visibility during March Madness, it bought authenticity.
By tying NIL deals directly to dunks, the brand made itself part of the actual game. Every time Coen Carr went airborne or Koa Peat hammered one home, the audience, even without realizing it, are watching a Wendy’s ad unfold in real time on the biggest stage in college sports.
What’s also telling is the breadth of the roster. From household names like Lendeborg and Wagler to feel-good stories like Sarah Graves, Wendy’s cast a wide, culturally resonant net. This wasn’t just about basketball’s biggest stars. It was about capturing moments, and in 2026, moments are currency.
For brands eyeing the college sports landscape, this campaign sets a new benchmark. The performance-activation model could reshape how fast-food giants, apparel brands, and consumer companies approach NIL in future NCAA tournaments.
And given the historic scale of the NIL market’s growth, the question isn’t whether this strategy will be imitated, it’s who moves first.
Could Wendy’s “dunk-activated” NIL model become the new standard for real-time brand deals during live sporting events? With Lendeborg, Wagler, Peat, and Cadeau all projected as high NBA Draft picks, how does a Wendy’s endorsement now shape their off-court brand portfolios heading into the pros?
