Dive Brief: 

• White Castle Frozen Foods on Monday (Aug. 25) announced it will serve as the official series sponsor of a podcast focused on name, image and likeness (NIL) rights from sports entertainment platform DAZN and Team Whistle, its social-first publishing arm, Marketing Dive can exclusively share.
• “Downs 2 Business” is hosted by college football standout Caleb Downs and his brother, Josh Downs, an NFL wide receiver. The show is meant to offer an unfiltered view of what it means to be an athlete in the era of NIL deals. 
• The video-first series will be available on DAZN, a dedicated YouTube channel, Spotify and Apple, and will also be promoted on “Downs 2 Business” and Team Whistle’s social channels. White Castle joins a wave of brands that are looking to tap into college football hype.

Dive Insight: 

White Castle Frozen Foods is getting football-ready through its official tie-up with “Downs 2 Business,” a partnership that arrives as other marketers, including DoorDash, Bud Light and Applebee’s, look to tap into hype ahead of season kickoff. The sponsorship expands on White Castle’s efforts to align around culturally relevant moments, according to Jamie Richardson, the brand’s vice president of marketing and public relations. 

“Partnering with Caleb and Josh on ‘Downs 2 Business’ lets us support athletes who are writing their own rules, while connecting with fans who crave authenticity both on and off the field,” said Richardson in a statement. 

“Downs 2 Business” will highlight the realities of life as an athlete and explore topics popular in sports and culture. The unscripted series will also unpack viral trends, inside-the-locker-room moments and the intricacies of brand building off the field. Guests with backgrounds across the sports and entertainment industries will appear throughout the season. White Castle is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, the same city where Caleb Downs currently plays as a safety for the Ohio State Buckeyes, adding an additional layer of relevance to the brand.

The latest effort from White Castle arrives as the chain undergoes change, including the appointment of Anthony Joseph, its chief administrative officer, as its new president earlier this year. Joseph took over the role from Lisa Ingram, who remains CEO and board chair. Additionally, the chain is growing its technological capabilities with a gamified rewards program and expanding its footprint with plans to open its first restaurant in Texas in 2026. White Castle in July named GSD&M its new creative and media agency of record.

Other brands have linked up with Team Whistle as a means to key into sports excitement. Dishwasher detergent brand Finish last year teamed with the entertainment company for two culinary face-off episodes of its “Home Team” series as part of an effort encouraging football fans to rally behind their favorite game day foods. In 2023, DirecTV Stream and Team Whistle launched a social media takeover touting the channel’s value and promotional offers around the fall football season.

Clarification: This article has been updated to clarify White Castle’s frozen foods division’s involvement as sponsor.

It’s not every day you see the sixth man of a national championship team with remaining eligibility decide to transfer. That same player then choosing to make the move to a conference rival and fellow title contender is unheard of — but that’s the reality in 2025 with the portal and NIL. Kentucky was thrilled to take advantage of the unique circumstances when Denzel Aberdeen unexpectedly became available, moving quickly to earn his commitment after talks fell through between the standout guard and Florida.

Pope and the Wildcats were motivated to get it across the finish line, whatever it took. And the feeling was mutual.

“Our phone call lasted about three hours, to be honest. … When (Kentucky) called, I was like ‘Man, I got to come here and play for Coach Pope,’ who is obviously another national champion,” the Gator-turned-Wildcat said in June. “And just the school itself, the people here, the atmosphere is crazy… When they called it was pretty much a no-brainer for me. I was like, yeah, I got to do it. I’m ready.”

What did it take to close the deal, exactly? At the time, Aberdeen’s father, Ian, told KSR+, “We really wanted to stay here at Florida, but negotiations went south a little bit,” and left it at that.

Now, Todd Golden is sharing the Gators’ side of the story — and you don’t have to read too far between the lines to figure out why Aberdeen is no longer in Gainesville. It’s nothing personal, to be clear, as he actually has nothing but good things to say about the senior guard as a person and player.

“It’s going to be different. I think Denzel is a great young man, and we’re grateful for the time that he spent in our program,” Golden told Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. “He obviously helped us win a national championship last year, and took advantage of the new world of college basketball and free agency.”

Ah, there it is. The new world of college basketball and free agency.

What does Golden mean by that? Well, Aberdeen saw his value at an all-time high as a title-winning supersub and cashed out with a blue-blood basketball school. If the winningest tradition in the sport wants to not only expand your role, but also give you a massive pay raise along the way, you’d be crazy to pass on the opportunity, right?

His now-former coach doesn’t blame him.

“He had a program like Kentucky that was able to come in here and take advantage, give him an opportunity — both from a basketball standpoint and financially — that was probably a little too good for him to turn down,” Golden said.

That was the path Aberdeen chose, and now, he has to look those Gator fans in the face on Valentine’s Day when Kentucky travels to Gainesville to take on Florida on Feb. 14.

Odds are good he’ll get booed. Odds are also good that the fierce competitor in him that helped Golden win his first championship will also be ready to give his old team his best shot.

“He’s going to have to come back into the O’Dome and get received by our fans. Our staff will be ready to compete against Denzel, and I think Denzel will be ready to compete against us,” Golden said. “He’s a great young man and a good player, but it’s a great example of what college basketball is like in 2025. We had to play against Riley Kugel last year at Mississippi State after he was a Gator for a few years, so it’s something that you’re starting to see more and more.”

Golden isn’t thrilled about the situation, but he gets it. And above all else, he’ll have his guys prepared when that ball is tipped.

That’s something he guarantees.

“Again, Denzel is a great, great guy, and we’re not necessarily happy to see him in Kentucky blue, but we’re going to be ready to compete against him,” he said. “I can promise you that.”

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is listed out for Tuesday’s contest against the Seattle Storm, according to beat writer Tony East. It will mark the 16th straight game that Clark has missed as she recovers from a right groin injury.

Clark suffered the injury on July 15 against the Connecticut Sun, and it also caused her to miss the WNBA All-Star Game that month. She has now been sidelined more than a month and has about two weeks left to make her return before the end of the regular season.

The good news is that Clark appears to be close to getting back on the court for game action. She was present at the team’s shootaround Sunday morning prior to a game against the Minnesota Lynx, marking her first time working with the team since suffering the injury.

Still, Clark has yet to make her return to the practice court. The Fever fell into a tie for eighth place in the WNBA standing after a 97-84 loss against the Lynx on Sunday and are only one game ahead of the ninth-place Los Angeles Sparks.

That in mind, Clark can’t return soon enough to save her team’s postseason hopes. But they’ll have to be without her for at least one more game when the Fever take on the Storm at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Caitlin Clark drops new logo, announces timeframe for apparel collection, signature shoe

Fans waiting for more Caitlin Clark apparel will be getting some in the very near future. The Indiana Fever star announced Monday that she has a new logo collection set to release soon through Nike.

“Logo collection coming soon,” Clark wrote on X. “Signature product dropping 2026.”

The “signature product” that Clark is referencing is a signature shoe as well as a signature apparel collection, per Chloe Peterson of The Indianapolis Star. That collection will include shirts, pants, hoodies and shorts, along with special pieces in adult sizes only.

The first drop from the logo collection is set to release on Sept. 1 and will feature a navy and yellow t-shirt. After that, a full apparrell collection featuring the logo will drop on Oct. 1.

“To me, this is more than just a logo, it’s a dream come true,” Clark said in a statement announcing her logo. “People always talk about leaving your mark on the game — and this is another way I can do that.”

Clark will become the third WNBA player to have a shoe released through Nike, joining Sabrina Ionescu and A’ja Wilson. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, who was in the same draft class as Clark and won a national championship against her in college, has her first signature shoe set to drop later this year with Reebok.