MADISON, Wis. – Badger Sports Properties, the multimedia rightsholder for Wisconsin Athletics, announced a partnership with UScellular to launch an innovative Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) campaign featuring three prominent Wisconsin student-athletes, aimed at emphasizing the value of authentic connections over constant digital engagement.
UScellular’s Official Sponsor of Timeouts campaign is led by UW student-athletes Izzy Ashburn (volleyball), Maema Njongmeta (football) and Chayla Edwards (women’s hockey). The campaign includes content posted to the student-athletes’ personal social media accounts, highlighting the importance of real connections and encouraging fans to take timeouts to invest in life’s most important moments.
“NIL partnerships provide UScellular a unique opportunity to create a program that aligns to our values and gives a platform for student-athletes to tell their individual stories,” stated Christine Paulsen, director of sales for UScellular in western and northern Wisconsin. “As the Official Sponsor of Timeouts, we’re encouraging everyone to focus on the game experience with the people who matter most.”
The NIL athlete social media content features a series of engaging posts centered around themes such as Timeouts for What Matters, Timeouts for Team, and Timeouts with US Mode, a customizable tool, fostering healthy digital habits on your phone that enables individuals to minimize distractions for all aspects of life.
“This is a fantastic partnership between UScellular and three tremendous student-athletes,” said Brian Mason, Director of NIL Strategy for Wisconsin Athletics. “All of our student-athletes have a story that goes far beyond their success on the field, the court or the rink. It’s exciting to see those stories showcased in collaborations like this, a campaign that connects these three student-athletes with UScellular’s message in a very authentic way.”
“We are excited to team up with UScellular on this exciting NIL campaign that emphasizes the vital role of genuine connections and the significance of taking meaningful timeouts,” stated Scott Silvestri, vice president and general manager of Learfield’s Badger Sports Properties. “This collaboration will help foster a balanced approach to digital engagement among UW fans and student-athletes, while encouraging a healthy balance between online connectivity and meaningful off-screen interactions.”
About UScellular
UScellular is the fourth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to help customers stay connected to the things that matter most. The Chicago-based carrier provides a strong, reliable network supported by the latest technology and offers a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers’ lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. Through its After School Access Project, the company has pledged to provide hotspots and service to help up to 50,000 youth connect to reliable internet. Additionally, UScellular has price protected all of its plans, promising not to increase prices through at least the end of 2024. To learn more about UScellular, visit one of its retail stores or www.uscellular.com. To get the latest news, visit newsroom.uscellular.com.
About Badger Sports Properties
Badger Sports Properties is the locally based team of Learfield, the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. All UW Athletics sponsorships are managed by Badger Sports Properties, which does not represent student-athletes, but on behalf of the university, is actively engaged with brands to maximize their sponsorships when paired with student-athlete NIL.