“The Highlighters are an essential part of the South Carolina women’s basketball team,” added Darren Brown, Head of Marketing for OOFOS. “They learn plays, help scout and practice with the team but are never seen on the court. OOFOS recovery footwear exists between workouts and games, often going unseen.” While the Highlighters are an important […]
“The Highlighters are an essential part of the South Carolina women’s basketball team,” added Darren Brown, Head of Marketing for OOFOS. “They learn plays, help scout and practice with the team but are never seen on the court. OOFOS recovery footwear exists between workouts and games, often going unseen.” While the Highlighters are an important part of South Carolina’s preparation, practice squads usually do not travel with the team. Staley and OOFOS changed that.Decked out in neon t-shirts and footwear, the Highlighters were easy to spot throughout the weekend and during the game behind Duke’s bench.”The highlight was stepping onto the court postgame and having all the girls run to us to celebrate,” White continued. “That moment showed how much our presence meant. The biggest impact was the energy we created from our section: being loud, engaged, and making sure the team felt our support every step of the way.”“OOFOS made this experience possible with the first-ever practice player NIL deal by covering our entire trip,” White added. “They went above and beyond by providing shoes and gear, ensuring we were comfortable and able to support the team at our best while setting a new standard for how practice players can be involved.”The Highlighters received VIP treatment throughout the weekend, including a luxury bus for the squad to travel from South Carolina to Birmingham for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, where the No. 1 seed Gamecocks defeated No. 2 Duke to advance to the Final Four. As part of the partnership update, OOFOS provided an all-expense paid trip for the Highlighters to support the Gamecocks and share in the NCAA Tournament experience for the Elite 8. The Gamecocks look to earn their forth NCAA Tournament title and next face fellow-No. 1 seed Texas in the Final Four matchup on April 4. The winner will match up against the winner of UCLA/UConn in the National Championship on April 6.
The team will be featured on the brand’s digital and social marketing channels — much like during the NCAA Tournament — and had the chance to gift the full women’s team with their own custom slides featuring their “uncommon” mantra for this season.As part of the unique NIL deal announced in February, OOFOS provided a full recovery toolkit, including custom Highlighter and additional OOFOS footwear throughout the year. “Bringing visibility to the importance of what the Highlighters do behind the scenes aligns with our efforts in helping athletes become their best through game-changing recovery,” Brown continued. “The fact that it is also a feel-good moment for the entire organization – team included – only furthers our corporate mission to make ‘yOO’ feel better through products, services, and experiences. And that is what this is all about.”
Staley – who is one of the top brand ambassadors for active recovery footwear leader OOFOS – helped support her practice squad players with a historic NIL partnership of their own. She connected the dots between OOFOS and the Highlighters for a first-of-its-kind partnership in February, and they’ve leveled it up for the NCAA Tournament.The South Carolina women’s basketball team and legendary coach Dawn Staley have reached the Final Four for a fifth straight year and as the Gamecocks continue to dominate on the hardwood, they also innovate in the NIL space off the court.“Being there in person made all the difference. We weren’t just supporting from afar. We were at practice, helping scout, and bringing energy during the game,” said Highlighter player Benjamin White.
