Utah Utes football team gets new Dodge trucks in NIL deal

On Wednesday, a video of the Utah Utes football team dancing around in front of brand new trucks went viral.

But it wasn't a music video.

It was the latest NIL sensation.

Crimson Collective, an organization dedicated to connecting Utes athletes to name, image and likeness deals emphasizing charity work, is leasing a Dodge Ram 1500 Big Horn truck for each of the 85 scholarship players on the football team, per Yahoo Sports. The total value of the deal is more than $6 million.

Each truck is covered in a Utah-themed wrap with the school colors and an ad for the streaming app For The Win 360 (FTW360), which helped sponsor the deal. The presentation of the cars to the players was streamed on the app. The players were taken to Rice-Eccles Stadium where they were given the news of the gift and then shown a few of the trucks. They jumped around in excitement as they took it all in.

Dalton Kincaid, a tight end for the Buffalo Bills who went to Utah, commented on the team's Instagram post saying that he wanted in on the fun.

"Am I still on scholarship?" he quipped.

The Crimson Collective, backed by donors, is paying for the leases of each truck, which has an MSRP of $43,970, on a six-month contract and is also covering the insurance. The contracts are expected to roll over based on a player's eligibility and membership on the team. If a player loses eligibility or transfers, they will lose their truck. The dealership that Crimson Collective worked with for the deal, Ken Garff Automotive Group, will take back the trucks as each lease is up and resell them.

Utah has risen to national prominence boosted by its performance on the field, winning back-to-back Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022. Last year, as the No. 12-ranked team, they upset No. 4 USC and Heisman winner Caleb Williams to take home the title.