MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Mountaineer Sports Properties, the multimedia rightsholder for West Virginia Athletics, proudly announces a partnership with UScellular for an innovative Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) campaign featuring three prominent West Virginia student-athletes, aimed at highlighting the value of in-person connections over constant digital engagement.
UScellular’s Official Sponsor of Timeouts campaign is led by West Virginia student-athletes Zach Frazier (football), Kiana Lewis (gymnastics) and JJ Wetherholt (baseball). The campaign includes content posted to the student-athletes’ personal social media accounts that underscores the importance of real connections and inspires fans to take timeouts to invest in life’s most important moments.
“UScellular is proud to be a part of the NIL program supporting student-athletes,” said Nakeita Stewart, director of sales for UScellular in the Mid-Atlantic. “As the Official Sponsor of Timeouts, we’re encouraging everyone to take time out from their phones to soak up the game experience and celebrate human connections over digital use, to share time with people who matter most.”
The social media content features a series of engaging posts centered around themes such as Timeouts for What Matters, Timeouts for Team, and Timeouts with US Mode, a customizable tool, promoting healthy digital habits on your phone that allows individuals to minimize distractions for all aspects of life.
“West Virginia Athletics is committed to providing NIL opportunities for our student-athletes, and the Timeouts NIL campaign provides an additional avenue for Zach, Kiana and JJ to further engage with our fan base,” said Matt Wells, deputy athletics director for external affairs. “We appreciate the efforts of our partners UScellular and Mountaineer Sports Properties in bringing this opportunity to fruition.”
“We’re excited to join forces with UScellular for this impactful NIL campaign, marking an important step in championing genuine connections and cultivating a balanced approach to digital engagement,” stated Evan Hawkins, general manager of Learfield’s Mountaineer Sports Properties. “It perfectly aligns with our mission to empower our student-athletes and advocate for meaningful interactions, and we eagerly anticipate the positive impact this partnership will bring to our community and beyond.”
About UScellular
UScellular is the fourth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to help customers stay connected to the things that matter most. The Chicago-based carrier provides a strong, reliable network supported by the latest technology and offers a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers’ lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. Through its After School Access Project, the company has donated more than $23 million in hotspots and service to help youth connect to reliable internet. To learn more about UScellular, visit one of its retail stores or www.uscellular.com. To get the latest news, visit newsroom.uscellular.com.
West Virginia University Athletics
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at West Virginia University sponsors 18 varsity sports with more than 500 student-athletes competing in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s indoor and outdoor track, rifle, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, women’s tennis, women’s volleyball, women’s rowing and wrestling. The mission of the West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is to provide the means to empower student-athletes to develop as leaders and achieve their full potential academically, athletically and personally.
About Mountaineer Sports Properties
Mountaineer Sports Properties is the locally based team of Learfield, the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. All West Virginia Athletics sponsorships are managed by Mountaineer Sports Properties, which does not represent student-athletes, but on behalf of the university, is actively engaged with brands to maximize their sponsorships when paired with student-athlete NIL.