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Buddy Boeheim didn’t know what to expect when he began working with Roc Nation Sports management on his brand deals instead of with his mother.

At the end of the summer, Buddy met Jack Overdyk, a Syracuse University alumnus and sports representative at Roc Nation, who is now Buddy’s manager. Overdyk helped Buddy organize contracts with brands that either have ties to the Syracuse community or strong backgrounds with athletes.

“My mom was already really stressed with trying to manage brands to work with, and my dad didn’t want to deal with it — he just wanted to coach,” Buddy said. “When Jack came up to Syracuse and explained that he would help me with deals and negotiating, it was a no-brainer.”

Buddy said it’s important for him to work with brands that have ties to the Syracuse community, are knowledgeable about athletes and have a product he believes in. Name, image and likeness legislation passed over the summer, allowing collegiate athletes to enter partnerships and profit from the use of their name and brand. In addition to Roc Nation, Buddy has worked with Three Wishes Cereal, Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards, and his most recent deal is with Athletic Brewing Company.

Buddy started working with Three Wishes in the middle of June, and Beak and Skiff, an apple orchard and distillery, contacted him to shoot a video in late August.

“Beak and Skiff was really my first local thing. I grew up going to that orchard so it was a good connection, and I had a lot of fun shooting the video,” Buddy said. “When I was shooting the video they just said, ‘Be goofy, be yourself, have fun with it,’ which made it really easy.”

Sarah Ditterline, the social media and brand development coordinator at Beak and Skiff, focused on finding influencers and athletes to collaborate with who are recognizable to college students and the wider central New York area.

Buddy was a natural fit for collaborating with Beak and Skiff because of his popularity in the Syracuse area and his excitement to be working with a company he has grown up supporting, Ditterline said.

“When you think of Syracuse, Buddy is one of the top things that comes to mind, as well as Beak and Skiff,” Ditterline said. “We wanted to make the wider Syracuse community aware of what we do and have to offer through Buddy.”

Athletic Brewing, a non-alcoholic beer company, is Buddy’s most recent sponsorship. Buddy was drawn to working with Athletic Brewing because he knew C.J. Stroud, an Ohio State football player who was sponsored by them, he said.

Ryan Cranston, the assistant manager at Winstate Sports Consulting, spoke about Winstate’s process pairing Buddy with Athletic Brewing. The company reached out to Buddy before the basketball season began and outlined a contract that includes five Instagram posts and a promotional video.

“We want people with a key name in sports, a loyal following and teams that are nationally relevant. Buddy was first team All-(Atlantic Coast Conference) last year and was coming back to Syracuse to play, so that was a huge appeal for us,” Cranston said.

Looking forward to teaming up with @athleticbrewing whose non-alcoholic brews allow athletes to enjoy a great-tasting brew during the season while still staying sharp for game day! Please check your local state laws to ensure you enjoy Athletic responsibly.

A photo posted by buddy_boeheim

It has been exciting to pair with Buddy because there is no major professional sports team in Upstate New York, Cranston said. Buddy is a big name in the Syracuse community and can reach a younger demographic other than the typical 40 to 50-year-old non-alcoholic beer drinker, he said.

Cranston hopes that Buddy’s Instagram posts about Athletic Brewing will raise awareness in the Syracuse area for anybody who wants to pursue a healthier lifestyle or cut down on drinking altogether.

“We’re hoping that just by enforcement from Buddy and helping to raise awareness around Syracuse, people will see it in the grocery store and walk past and say, ‘Wow, Buddy promotes this. Let me give it a try,’” Cranston said.

In the beginning of the year, Buddy felt worried when he was being contacted by brands from around the country. He didn’t know how his teammates would react. Some members of the SU men’s basketball team are international students and can’t take NIL partnerships, and others don’t have as big of a following as Buddy does.

Luckily, his teammates have been nothing but supportive and excited for Buddy’s endeavors, he said. Buddy even plans to do something with his teammates, like a basketball camp or clinic that everyone can participate in.

“I was a little nervous at first because I had no clue what to expect. The team has been so encouraging, and they want to know about deals — when they see me do something fun, they want to ask how it was and if it was cool,” Buddy said. “I’ll always share stuff with them too, like Beak and Skiff sent some doughnuts, and I shared it with them.”

Buddy’s biggest concern this year was making sure he didn’t have to shoot any videos or commercials during the basketball season and ensuring the companies he partners with have a connection to Syracuse or sports in some way. He would also love to work with a company that is run by an SU student, whether it be a clothing line or sports venture.

“If I liked the product and message, I would totally be on board to help a fellow student at ’Cuse. I have a friend who plays at Grand Canyon University, and he created his own clothing brand,” Buddy said. “Prior to the season, we talked about doing some Instagram posts or stories of me wearing his stuff. I’m always down to partner with peers.”

Published on March 3, 2022 at 12:57 am