California Brand Cookies Lands First-Ever NCAA Cannabis Sponsorship With University Of So-Cal Deal

In an unprecedented move for collegiate sports sponsorships, the California-based cannabis brand Cookies has secured a three-year partnership with the University of Southern California (USC), marking the first time a cannabis company has officially sponsored an NCAA team. The deal positions Cookies' branding on USC merchandise and throughout the iconic Coliseum during games as a bold move for the university and the cannabis industry at large.

Cookies' CBD Products Pioneering NCAA Entry

As reported by Lester Black in SFGATE, Cookies’ entry into NCAA sponsorship was spearheaded by its founder and CEO, Gilbert “Berner” Milam Jr., who noted that the deal is an improbable milestone achieved amidst stringent advertising restrictions faced by cannabis companies across major platforms. The NCAA, traditionally conservative in its advertising partners, still lists marijuana as a prohibited partner in official guidelines. However, the deal is framed around Cookies' CBD and wellness products, sharing the same widely recognized Cookies brand logo known in the marijuana sector.

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The partnership navigates through unclear promotional guidelines within the NCAA, suggesting a possible shift in the association’s stance on cannabis-related advertising, though official confirmations remain absent. The ambiguity extends to whether this paves the way for other cannabis firms to enter the lucrative college sports marketing arena. 

Read Also: Will Cannabis Be A Game-Changer For Athletes? NFL’s $1M Study Suggests It Could

Cannabis Sponsorship Potential To Expand College Sports Funding

Experts like Jim Andrews, a sports marketing authority at Northwestern University consulted by SFGATE, said this could open significant new revenue streams for collegiate sports, pressured to diversify their funding sources.

Cookies’ strategy includes engaging fans with tailgating events and digital advertisements at USC home games, a move that introduces the cannabis brand to a new, diverse audience. The partnership emphasizes CBD products only, without promoting THC-containing products, yet the shared branding between Cookies’ cannabis and wellness lines blurs these distinctions for the public.

Alcohol Vs. Cannabis Sponsorship Debate

Nevertheless, this visibility is not without controversy, as critics raise concerns about promoting cannabis on campuses where many students are underage. Cookies president Parker Berling addressed concerns, noting the existing precedent of alcohol sponsorships in college sports. "I don't know why alcohol companies can sponsor major universities, but cannabis companies cannot," Berling told SFGATE.

This partnership between Cookies and the USC could signal a transformative era for sponsorship strategies in college sports, driven by the evolving legal and societal perspectives on cannabis. 

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