DJ Burns Jr. will play in the Final Four on Saturday evening, but NC State’s breakout star has already been experiencing incredible NIL success off the hardwood during this incredible run. In the last three weeks alone since the NCAA Tournament began, Burns Jr. has made well over six figures in endorsement money but under $500,000, his agent Ken Caldwell told On3. Caldwell did not disclose a specific number. The South Carolina native boasts deals with Adidas, CVS, Raising Cane’s, Intuit TurboTax, and more. As for what’s next for him, Burns said “the plan” is to play in the NBA one day. Considering he has averaged 18.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting an impressive 67.4% against some of the best teams in the country this tournament, he could be a useful addition to a pro franchise.

As the official hotel partner of the NCAA, this season, Marriott Bonvoy launched a campaign and contest where both fans and players could participate in game-day giveaways and personalized moments with coach Sydney Carter at the women’s Final Four. The “Score Big with Marriott Bonvoy Game Day Ritual” was a way for fans to post their most unusual game day ritual. One lucky UConn fan, whose ritual includes eating a plate of chicken parmesan and finishing his latte right at tip-off, won a grand prize for two, including flights and hotel accommodations to the contests in Cleveland. The opportunity to go behind the scenes of the biggest event in college basketball allowed fans to get a different perspective while banking stories to tell for a lifetime.

For more on Marriott’s dedication to making a sports fan’s dream come true, be sure to read my full story on how brands are creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences at big events. 

Travis Scott and Cactus Jack sparked their own special type of March Madness this week in a partnership with Fanatics. Flacko and Michael Rubin fueled up the jet in support of the launch of their new collab, making three stops at LSU, University of Texas, and USC in just under 24 hours. The college tour is part of the launch of the new collegiate-inspired headwear and apparel collection – featuring 28 different Universities. At each stop, the local stars came out, as they were joined by the likes of Juju Watkins, the Texas football team, Angel Reese, and Flau’jae Johnson.

Those heading to the men’s or women’s Final Four in Cleveland and Phoenix, respectively, likely paid big to watch the game live. On the women’s side, this is the most expensive Final Four on record, with an average purchase of $549, according to TickPick. This makes it 88% more expensive than last year’s Final Four ($291). Before the tournament tipped off last month, the average get-in price for the games in Cleveland was $205. However, that price spiked to $692 following Iowa‘s win over LSU, marking a 237% increase. As of Friday, the get-in price was sitting at $469, which is a 421% jump from last year’s Final Four. TickPick also revealed that the most expensive purchase for the women’s games were four tickets in Section 107, Row 14, for $4,227 per ticket ($16,908 total). For the men’s Final Four in Phoenix, the current get-in price (as of Friday) is $485, while the average purchase price is $521. The most expensive tickets purchased were a pair in Section 132, Row E, for $7,659 each ($15,318 total).

Ahead of the NC State men’s and women’s basketball teams competing in their respective Final Four matchups, Anthony Edwards surprised both squads with pairs of his signature sneakers, the AE 1, in the “Best of Adi” colorway. He also gifted the players with a variety of other Adidas products. Indiana Fever guard Erica Wheeler was on-site with the women’s team in Cleveland to celebrate the historic run, and Ant himself recorded a video for both teams wishing them all good luck. Edwards is one of Adidas’ signature basketball athletes, while Three Stripes has been the apparel sponsor for NC State since 2012.

Some of college basketball’s most famous faces are making moves once the season ends. LSU star Angel Reese revealed in a Vogue exclusive this week that she will enter the WNBA Draft, while her teammate Hailey Van Lith has decided to stay in college and enter the transfer portal, per ESPN. Iowa star Caitlin Clark is also headed to the draft, where she is expected to be selected first overall by the Indiana Fever. Stanford small forward Cameron Brink, South Carolina‘s Kamilla Cardoso, and UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards will also all be taking their talents to the pros when the campaign concludes.