It’s a new era of college sports — with Fresno State’s Cavinder twins leading the charge
Bravo Haley and Hanna Cavinder. Way to go!
Fresno State’s high-scoring twin sister backcourt, with their astronomical social media followings, are suddenly one of college sports’ most profitable enterprises. As the floodgates to a new era of NCAA athletics sprung open, the Cavinders made endorsement deals with cell phone provider Boost Mobile (announced on a giant electronic billboard in Times Square) and a supplement company called Six Star that will pay them well into five figures each time one of them posts a 60-second video on Tiktok.
Great work, if you can get it. And the Cavinder sisters, with their genetics, basketball skills and marketing prowess, were in a unique position to pounce now that collegiate athletes can no longer be treated like serfs by the feudal lords that comprise the NCAA.
“It was really exciting that such a known company wanted to work with Hanna and me,” Haley Cavinder told ESPN.com during one of several national media interviews the twins gave Thursday. “This is a big switch for all student-athletes. Being able to use your name, image and likeness is something we all deserve, and I’m really thankful the NCAA is finally passing this.”
Truth is, the NCAA had little choice but to waive draconian rules that forbade college athletes from cashing in on their names and talents. On July 1, laws and executive orders in nearly two dozen states designed to have the same impact were set to take effect — with California leading the way.
The NCAA’s legal options were eroding just as quickly. A recent 9-0 Supreme Court ruling read like a scathing rebuke for decades of exploitation, under the guise of amateurism, that violated antitrust laws. (Especially Justice Brett Cavanaugh’s opinion.) Why should conferences and coaches have the only keys to the revenue vaults? From now on, the billions made off college sports must be shared with the “student-athletes” who generate it.
That the Cavinder sisters, who play a non-revenue sport for a Mountain West school, were among the first to capitalize provides it wasn’t just football and men’s basketball stars from Power 5 conferences that were being stymied by the old system.
NIL the most impactful change to NCAA since Title IX
Haley Cavinder scored 19.8 points per game for the Bulldogs last season and was named conference player of the year, while Hanna averaged 17. Both are high-level Division I basketball players. Still, it’s not dribble drives or 3-pointers that makes them so enticing to brands. Boost Mobile, Six Star and others want access to the 3.3 million followers on their joint Tiktok account.
In 2021, following the most impactful change to the college sports landscape since the implementation of Title IX nearly 50 years ago, those are the stats that matter.
The Cavinders didn’t become social media mavens by accident. They worked hard to get there, taking advantage of their unique genetics and fashion-model looks as well as opportunities and resources provided by Fresno State, to all student-athletes on a voluntary basis, designed to elevate their personal brands.
Guess what? They succeeded.
“Their notoriety has grown beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, and that’s a testament to them,” said Frank Pucher, Fresno State’s senior associate AD for external relations.
“Not everyone is going to have the inherent natural advantage, call it luck or whatever, of being born a twin and playing basketball at the Division I level with your twin. … But in terms of educating themselves and preparing for this exact moment, anyone could have done that. You didn’t have to be a twin.”
Can Fresno State benefit from Cavinder sisters’ reach?
There’s no doubt the Cavinder sisters benefited from the NCAA’s new definition of amateurism. Question is, how can Fresno State share in that success? For all of Haley and Hanna’s social media clout, it’s hard to see that notoriety translating to more ticket sales for Bulldogs women’s basketball or donations to the program.
But perhaps, in 2021, those are the wrong metrics to measure. For a long time now, Fresno State has struggled to extend its brand to new generations of fans. Each time the Cavinder sisters post a photo or video while dressed in Bulldogs attire, the school’s name and logo are seen by millions. (Neither are allowed on sponsored posts.) The athletic department couldn’t pay for that sort of advertising.
While it will be difficult for anyone to emulate what the Cavinders have done, Fresno State athletes present and future stand to greatly benefit from the new rules — perhaps more than any Division I university in California. Unlike college programs in Southern California and the Bay Area, the Bulldogs have a media market all to themselves. They don’t have to share it with any pro teams.
Can you imagine how many local commercials David and Derek Carr could’ve done during their Bulldogs careers?
The Name, Image and Likeness era of college athletics is here. Led by twin sisters who play women’s basketball at Fresno State. Amazing job.
This story was originally published July 2, 2021 at 12:41 PM.
