Courtesy: JSU Athletics
Michael Strahan and Deion Sanders are teaming up again to benefit Jackson State student-athletes.
SMAC Entertainment, the multi-dimensional talent management, music, branding, sponsorship, business incubator and production company co-founded by Michael Strahan and Constance Schwartz-Morini, has announced it has received student-athlete marketing commitments from WorkForce Software, Simply Crowns, and Madison Healthplex Performance.
“In the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling and announced changes to NIL enforcement, these brands are making strides to level the playing field by choosing to align directly with HBCU student-athletes, beginning with student-athletes at Jackson State University. These are the first of many NIL-related marketing partnerships that SMAC will be forging in the weeks ahead,” SMAC Entertainment said in a release.
WorkForce Software, the leading provider of enterprise SaaS-based workforce management solutions will sponsor offensive and defensive linemen at Jackson State University (JSU) where Deion Sanders serves as head coach. WorkForce Software is the first corporate sponsor to provide funds that will directly benefit JSU college athletes.
Also making an early commitment to HBCU athletes is Simply Crowns, a specialty dentistry company with locations throughout Texas, will provide restorative and cosmetic dentistry procedures and will offer as-needed procedures to select members of the JSU football team. In addition, the Madison Healthplex Performance Center will provide a partnership opportunity to all members of the JSU Football team, allowing them to utilize their center to enhance their fitness, sports performance, and physical therapy plans.
“It is PRIMETIME and about time that our student-athletes have an opportunity to make MONEY off of their name, image, and likeness. I am thrilled that these athletes can now financially and personally benefit from all that they do for their institutions and communities. This is a tremendous step in the right direction,” said Deion Sanders, head football coach, Jackson State University.
“Workforce Software and I are proud to support student athletes at Jackson State University by partnering with members of the O-Line and D-Line,” said Mike Morini, CEO of WorkForce Software. “The work Coach Prime and his staff are doing is clearly making a difference for these young men, the team, and the community. At WorkForce, we help companies make work easy for all workers, and as an ex-offensive tackle myself, I know there is nothing easy about preparing mentally and physically for the lineman’s on-field-battle. We hope this relationship demonstrates our recognition of the tremendous contribution of the sometimes overlooked and hardworking linemen, who are a critical part of the ultimate success of any team.”
Specifics surrounding these and additional HBCU-focused brand partnerships will be announced in near future.
This isn’t the first time the two legends have hooked up to benefit Jackson State football. Last fall, Strahan, a Texas Southern University alumnus, announced his suit brand would be sponsoring JSU.