Former Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes provided a $5 million gift Thursday towards the school’s South End Zone project.
On Friday, the Kansas City Chiefs star made history by signing six Texas Tech players to NIL deals with “Team Mahomes.” Weeks after adidas and the Red Raiders signed a 10-year partnership, in larger part to Mahomes’ work with the sportswear brand, the quarterback has launched an NIL initiative nicknamed “Team Mahomes.”
The announcement comes as Mahomes visits Lubbock, spending time around campus and the athletic program. The inaugural “Team Mahomes” athletes include:
- Five-star freshman wide receiver Micah Hudson
- USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year NiJaree Canady
- Jasmine Shavers, the leading scorer for the women’s basketball team
- Matthew Comegys, one of the nation’s top amateur golfers
- Women’s soccer player Sam Courtwright, the 2023 Big 12 Freshman of the Year
- Baseball player TJ Pompey, who was named a Freshman All-American
Full terms of the endorsement contracts were not made available, however, the six athletes will participate in brand marketing campaigns. That will include marketing Mahomes’ signature shoe and apparel line with adidas.
“The energy around this partnership has been incredible, and this announcement shows just how important this is to me, adidas and Texas Tech,” Mahomes said in a statement. “Adidas has been a collaborative partner from the start, and we worked together to select athletes who are among the best and embody the drive and dedication we’re looking for in a Team Mahomes athlete. We’ve got a lot of great stuff coming up for the Red Raiders – stay tuned for more.”
Patrick Mahomes partners with Texas Tech’s stars
The No. 11 recruit in the nation in the 2024 class, Hudson is expected to be an instant contributor at Texas Tech. He’s the highest-ranked recruit in the program’s history.
The Red Raiders landed a commitment from Canady last month. The Stanford transfer pitcher agreed to terms on an NIL deal with the third-party collective The Matador Club. A source close to the situation told On3 the deal is nearly $1.2 million.
The reigning national softball player of the year, she entered the transfer portal on the final day of the window on June 17. Viewed as one of the top pitchers in the sport, Canady finished the 2024 season with a 0.73 ERA and 337 strikeouts over 230.2 total innings.
Adidas has been the most aggressive of the sportswear giants in the NIL Era, launching an ambassador network. Over 12,000 student-athletes nationwide across a variety of sports have participated in the network, earning a percentage of the sales they drive for key products and campaigns.
“The creation of Team Mahomes further positions Texas Tech Athletics as a national leader in NIL. This wouldn’t be possible without a tremendous partner in adidas that believes strongly in investing in our student-athletes under the Patrick Mahomes brand,” Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt said. “In this era of sports, there aren’t many generational athletes like Patrick Mahomes who promote their alma mater so proudly and give back in such a meaningful manner.”
