When I look at college football, I don’t see just games. I see America’s closest thing to international futbol: regional pride, generational loyalty, and most importantly, a largely untapped market for small CPG brands. With NIL partnerships opening doors that were locked for decades, smart founders should be paying attention to what’s happening on Saturdays.
At Pickle Advisors, we invest in consumer culture. And nothing captures American consumer culture quite like 100,000 people tailgating at 8am for a noon kickoff. So in the spirit of competition (and finding the next billion-dollar brand hiding in plain sight), here’s Championship Weekend’s elite CPG battles.
MAC Championship: Miami (OH) vs Western Michigan = Graza vs Casa Virgin Category: Olive Oil
Squeeze bottle showdown. Graza (Miami) disrupted EVOO with that iconic green bottle and single-origin swagger. TikTok’s favorite fat. Casa Virgin (Western Michigan) brings Italian tradition to American kitchens. Estate grown, cold pressed, actually tastes like olives should. Millennial marketing versus Italian mastery. Edge: Miami by 10.
Big 12 Championship: #11 BYU vs #4 Texas Tech = Athletic Brewing vs Bero Category: Non-Alcoholic Beer
NA nobility clash. Athletic Brewing (BYU) pioneered the category when everyone said it couldn’t work. Now valued at $800M+. Bero (Texas Tech) is Tom Holland’s new play. Celebrity backing meets British brewing. First mover versus famous founder. Edge: Texas Tech by 7.
SEC Championship: #3 Georgia vs #9 Alabama = Folds vs Beefy’s Own Category: Chips
Engineering meets tradition. Folds (Georgia) solved the chip structural integrity problem with perfect ridges. Maximum dip, minimum breakage. Beefy’s Own (Alabama) cooks in beef tallow like your great-grandparents did. Old-school fat, new-school brand. Innovation versus indulgence. Edge: Georgia by 3.
Big Ten Championship: #2 Indiana vs #1 Ohio State = Loopini vs Against the Grain Category: Frozen Pizza
Pizza perfection playoff. Loopini (Indiana) revolutionized frozen pizza with lupini beans. Protein-packed crust that’s actually crispy. Against the Grain (Ohio State) makes the cleanest frozen pizza on the market. Minimal ingredients, maximum flavor, no compromises. Protein power versus pure simplicity. Edge: Ohio State by 14.
ACC Championship: Duke vs #17 Virginia = Betty & Jo’s vs Alec’s Category: Ice Cream
Frozen finale. Betty Jo’s (Duke) brings small-batch sophistication to your freezer. Unique flavors, premium ingredients, pint perfection. Alec’s (Virginia) made A2 dairy ice cream mainstream. Easier to digest, harder to resist. Artisanal versus accessible. Edge: Duke by 4.
The NIL Opportunity Nobody’s Talking About
Here’s what keeps me up at night: College athletes can now partner with brands. But most CPG founders are still thinking influencers and TikTok. Meanwhile, there’s a quarterback in Lubbock crushing Bero posts to 200K followers. Zero equity.
Smart brands should be:
Creating Championship Flavors (Betty & Jo’s “Blue Devil Victory Vanilla”)
Sponsoring tailgate competitions with category prizes
Building “Official [Category] of Champions” partnerships
Finding the long snapper who reviews frozen pizzas professionally
The same founders who understand community-driven growth need to recognize that college football IS community. It’s loyal, it’s local, and it’s looking for authentic brands that get it.
At Pickle Advisors, we’re actively exploring NIL strategies for our portfolio companies. Because sometimes the best marketing isn’t programmatic spend. It’s a linebacker from Athens destroying Buffy’s popcorn on the jumbotron.
Every Saturday tells a story. What’s yours?
Next week: Bowl season meets brand building. This is where legends are made.
Want to explore NIL partnerships for your brand? Reach out at jonathan@pickleadvisors.com
P.S. If you’re a founder watching championships this Saturday, count how many times your category shows up in victory celebrations. That’s organic reach you can’t manufacture.