TUCSON, Ariz. — Tuesday, the people behind the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop, shared some big news.
The Bowl is teaming up with certain brands to start a program that pays college athletes for the use of their names, images and likenesses.
It's a way to give back to the athletes from the teams playing in the Bowl.
The NIL deal is the first of its kind by an NCAA Bowl game.
MORE INFORMATION: One of the best rappers of all time is sponsoring a college football bowl game and it's right here in Arizona
“Adding NIL opportunities for the student-athletes of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop is the next evolution in college sports and we wanted to lead by example,” stated Snoop Dogg. He continued, “We can’t wait to give our players the opportunity to serve the community of Tucson during Bowl week while at the same time using their name, image and likeness to rightfully earn money for themselves and their families.”
Kym Adair, Executive Director of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop added, “When Snoop approached us with this idea, it was obvious that he has a deep respect and appreciation for the new opportunities afforded to Student-Athletes through NIL and he wanted to show support for them by being the first Bowl to make this type of commitment. We can’t wait to make his vision a reality.”
The Bowl will be played on Dec, 28 at 4:30 p.m. EST at the University of Arizona.
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Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
