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 this week’s matchup of gridiron battles and CPG brawls.
#10 Miami vs SMU = The Farmer’s Dog vs Sundays for Dogs
Fresh pet food face-off. The Farmer’s Dog (Miami) convinced millennials to spend $300/month on human-grade dog meals. Portioned, personalized, vet-designed. Sundays (SMU) went the air-dried route. Shelf-stable but still premium. Both betting your dog deserves better than kibble. Edge: Miami by 14.
#9 Vanderbilt vs #20 Texas = Jinx vs Maev
Better-for-your-best-friend battle. Jinx (Vanderbilt) brings minimalist packaging to maximum nutrition. Kibble that looks like it belongs in a Sweetgreen. Maev (Texas) went raw before raw was cool. Freeze-dried, human-grade, Austin energy. Silicon Valley design versus Texas-sized ambition. Edge: Texas by 10.
#12 Notre Dame vs Boston College = We Feed Raw vs Open Farm
Ethical pet food ethics. We Feed Raw (Notre Dame) keeps it simple: raw meat, organs, bones. Carnivore diet for carnivores. Open Farm (Boston College) brought transparency to pet food. QR codes showing exactly which farm your dog’s dinner came from. Primal versus provenance. Edge: Notre Dame by 21.
#18 Oklahoma vs #14 Tennessee = Spot & Tango vs Ollie
Customized canine cuisine. Spot & Tango (Oklahoma) uses algorithms to personalize your pup’s nutrition. Quiz to bowl in 2 days. Ollie (Tennessee) pioneered the fresh pet food subscription model. Now valued at $500M+. Data-driven versus first-mover advantage. Edge: Tennessee by 7.
#17 Cincinnati vs #24 Utah = JustFoodForDogs vs Nom Nom
Vet-formulated freshness. JustFoodForDogs (Cincinnati) started in pet stores with open kitchens. Watch them cook your dog’s dinner. Nom Nom (Utah) went straight to consumer before selling to Mars Petcare. Both proving dogs deserve restaurant quality. Edge: Pick ‘em.
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 Dallas whose goldendoodle has 50K Instagram followers. Zero sponsorship.
Smart brands should be:
Creating team mascot partnerships (Uga meets The Farmer’s Dog)
Sponsoring athlete’s pets on social media
Building “Pups of [University]” ambassador programs
Finding the long snapper whose corgi is TikTok famous
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 a commercial. It’s a linebacker’s labrador eating Jinx on ESPN GameDay.
Every Saturday tells a story. What’s yours?
Next week: Rivalry week meets regional favorites. Circle your calendar.
Want to explore NIL partnerships for your brand? Reach out at jonathan@pickleadvisors.com
P.S. If you’re a founder watching games this Saturday, notice how many players post their dogs on Instagram. That’s an untapped NIL goldmine.