Overtime’s first-of-its-kind UConn partnership heralds a new era of NIL brand integration

For seamless integration, OT set up the content studio in Gampel Pavilion, right next to the women’s locker rooms. Athletes will have full access to the studio, allowing them to create posts for their personal social media as well as collaborative content with OT. Malas said all content will live on OT’s social channels, which have over 120M followers across platforms.

Additionally, OT will feature all NIL–eligible athletes through the partnership. This means they’ll tap big-name stars like Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong, and KK Arnold, but they’ll also have “the opportunity to work with some of the amazing players that are up and coming,” Malas explained.

As an example, she noted former OT Select — the high school girls’ basketball showcase that’s become an integral part of the sport’s pipeline — participant Kelis Fisher is now able to work with OT again as a UConn athlete.

So, what is OT getting out of all of this? Founded in 2016, the brand’s ethos has been creating engaging sports content for Gen Z, much of that rooted in basketball culture through a digital, social-focused lens.

With the advent of TikTok and NIL deals, content delivery has changed, and so has OT’s approach to highlighting athletes. It’s gone beyond in-game highlights into deeper storytelling, and this groundbreaking partnership allows OT to do what no media company has done before.

In the past, OT created content with athletes by partnering with them directly and negotiating with their agents or with partnered brands. But since they’re working with the university, they’re able to access all NIL–eligible athletes on UConn’s women’s basketball roster, giving the top-ranked Huskies even more of a recruitment edge.

“This is a partnership that really does give these athletes access to Overtime, access to a greater audience and network, [and the] opportunity to work with brand partners in this capacity,” Malas said. “So outside of just basketball, you're also building these businesswomen.”

Malas explained how universities are investing millions into content creation studios to entice athletes with NIL opportunities, but the content crafted there primarily lives on university channels.

UConn athletes, however, will have the unique opportunity to partner with OT, have content amplified across their channels, and work with founding partners Wendy’s and Google Gemini. Both brands will be involved in all content creation and have direct access to the athletes and OT’s network, according to Malas.

OT’s reach does matter, which is perhaps best exemplified by its OT Select program. The showcase fills an important gap in the women’s basketball pipeline and gives high school stars a national platform, resulting in improved national rankings, increased social media exposure, and even brand partnerships. Seven of ESPN’s top 10 recruits for 2026 played in OT Select, as did 66% of this year’s McDonald’s All-Americans.

Three team captains — Kaleena Smith, Gigi Banks, and Oliviyah Edwards — saw their combined Instagram follower counts jump 133%, while lesser-known recruit Kate Harpring’s elite performance in OT Select’s inaugural tournament landed her an Adidas NIL deal and catapulted her to the nation’s No. 1 recruit. OT’s spotlight “really does change women’s lives,” Malas added.

When it comes to content creation, OT definitely wields home-court advantage. “The way we create branded content is really trying to be organic and authentic,” Malas said. For Wendy’s and Google Gemini, Overtime got creative while leaning into some of its fave Gen Z-led social trends.

OT likes to have fun online with a game called “Break The Stick,” where athletes are asked a series of questions comparing items and are asked to “break the stick” when they agree with a statement. With Wendy’s, they’re doing a spin on this concept called “Dunk The Fry.”

With Google Gemini, Malas said OT is creating sponsored assets via evergreen content. Malas is “excited” to work with an AI platform because it’s still a new frontier in terms of integrated sports partnerships, especially at the college level. And as any university student knows, there are myriad ways AI impacts collegiate life.

Wendy’s has been a prominent college basketball sponsor and supporter of collegiate women’s athletics, but embracing a hit OT trend with a twist endears the brand to this audience. And while ChatGPT is the de facto AI platform mentioned in casual conversation, Gemini’s integration with Google tools is convenient, something college kids may especially value.

Clearly, OT is able to integrate any kind of brand partner, leaving the door open for anyone interested in accessing their savvy, highly-engaged social media audience. And since OT has access to the whole UConn women’s basketball roster, so do these partners — and Malas believes this content studio will showcase these elite athletes in a new light. Putting the world on notice.