How a Viral Tater Tots NIL Deal Took Over BYU Men’s Basketball

NEWARK, N.J. — BYU forward Richie Saunders told reporters he wasn’t the one to publicize the fact that his great-grandfather, F. “Nephie” Griggs, was the inventor of Tater Tots. Instead, his secret was revealed during this year’s Big 12 men’s basketball tournament, when ESPN announcers found a tweet and broadcast it to the world. 

It wasn’t long until Ore-Ida, a brand of potato-based frozen products owned by Kraft Heinz that owns the trademark to the term “Tater Tot,” reached out to Saunders with an idea for an NIL (name, image, and likeness) deal.

Saunders had already gained notoriety with his on-court performance throughout the season—he was named the Big 12 Player of the Year and has helped lead the Cougars to their first Sweet 16 since 2011. But in the NIL era, in-game matters are only part of the March Madness story. The ensuing deal and the virality that’s come along with it is one of the many examples of how brands have acted quickly to capitalize on the stage the NCAA tournament provides—and how beneficial that stage can be for players and brands if they act fast.

“I think Ore-Ida has done a really good job because they jumped on the ship real quick,” Saunders told reporters during a Sweet 16 pregame press conference. “I think a lot of it is up to them if they want to try to cash in—I feel like they have.” 

To execute the deal, Ore-Ida flew members of its team to Denver, where Saunders was preparing to play BYU’s early-round games in the men’s basketball tournament, Saunders said. The campaign, which dubbed Saunders the Tater Tot Heir and featured a photo of him standing on a basketball court holding a bag of the product, went live March 20, the first day of the round of 64. The deal offers fans the ability to buy free Tater Tots for 30 minutes after every game the Cougars win in the tournament. Ahead of the Sweet 16, Ore-Ida has changed its name to “Ore-Richie.”

Ore-Ida and its Tater Tots have since earned plenty of free advertising beyond Saunders’s specific campaign. CBS announcer Dana Jacobson held up a basket of tots during the round-of-64 game broadcast during a spotlight on the deal. BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff, known for an innovative NIL deal related to his family heritage with Manischewitz, posted a photo of himself eating a hot dog with Tater Tots during the team’s round-of-32 game against Wisconsin. This week, the tots have been sold out in all of Utah County, Saunders said.

The entire team, it appears, has adopted support for the brand. The players chanted “Tater Tots” to celebrate Saunders in the locker room, and smiled and laughed when Saunders was asked about the deal during the Sweet 16 pregame press conference. “Every time we go to team meals, we’re always joking about, ‘Where’s the Tater Tots?’” BYU player Trevin Knell told reporters. Coach Kevin Young said the team finally got tots as part of their meal recently. Egor Demin, who was born in Moscow, said he tried the cuisine for the first time during that team meal. (“It was good,” he told reporters. “I found out that it’s potato. I always thought it’s something sweet.”)

“Richie is an unbelievable guy, so I’m happy that his play, number one, is kind of what’s gotten him in the limelight,” Young told reporters. “And the tots is a huge bonus for everybody.”

In many previous cases, coaches have lambasted players for focusing on NIL earnings during the season. But Saunders said Young has encouraged him to learn how to balance making money with playing and practicing. “He’s kind of helped me see, like, being a professional basketball player, you have to have these kind of conversations during the season,” Saunders says. “It can’t detract from your focus. But you need to have them.”

But right now, Saunders says his attention is on the court. The Cougars will face off against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday night. “Your focus is not trying to promote Tater Tots,” he says. “It’s about winning games. And in turn, the Tater Tots are going to win, too. Know what I’m saying?”