The University of Southern California (USC) Trojans have become the first athletic department to sign a sponsorship agreement with a cannabis company.
According to Business Wire, the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans have formed a groundbreaking partnership with Cookies, a cannabis and wellness brand based in California. This unique deal marks the first time a program has partnered with a cannabis company.
Cookies will sponsor the football team as well as the men’s and women’s basketball teams. In a statement, Cookies CEO Berner expressed excitement about working with such a prestigious athletic department in California.
“Cookies is thrilled to be a sponsor of USC Athletics for the upcoming 2024/2025 season,” says Cookies’ CEO John Berner. “California is our home state and for Cookies to be involved with a premier athletic program, in the oldest private college in the state of California, is incredibly exciting for us. We are honored and excited to be a sponsor and Trojans supporter alongside other globally recognized brands. Fight on!”
Drew DeHart, Vice President and general manager of USC Sports Properties, emphasized the appeal of Cookies’ innovative brand as a driving factor behind the collaboration.
“With the decision to open this category, it was our goal to find the right partner for USC Athletics, and we did just that with Cookies. Cookies is the global leader in CBD but also an innovative brand deep in life-style culture and wellness,” DeHart said. “We are excited for the Trojans to be a leader in collegiate athletics on and off the field, and today’s announcement continues to showcase just that.”
Earlier this year, the NCAA announced its decision to remove cannabis from the banned substance list. The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports had previously recommended the removal, noting that cannabis is not performance-enhancing.
