Utes go truckin': Every scholarship player receives new truck

Field Level Media|published: Thu 5th October, 16:19 2023

Sep 16, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham looks on in the first half against the Weber State Wildcats at Rice-Eccles Stadium. credits: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Utah football players will driving to practice in style.

On Wednesday, the 85 scholarship players each received a 2024 Dodge Ram 1500 Big Horn truck, leased for them for one year, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. It's being funded largely by Crimson Collective, an organization that puts Utah athletes in touch with name, image and likeness deals.

To receive a truck, the players must agree to promote the Crimson Collective to help it boost NIL opportunities for other student-athletes. They also will be encouraged to do community service and must have a good driving record, The Tribune said.

Yahoo Sports reported that each truck will bear an ad for the streaming app For The Win 360 (FTW360), a co-sponsor of the deal. The sponsors are paying for the leases of the truck, which has an MSRP of $43,970, as well as the insurance, per the report. The leases will roll over as long as a player remains on the team. Anyone who is out of eligibility or transfers will need to turn it in.

"Honestly, I can't even believe it. It still seems unreal, man," defensive tackle Junior Tafuna told The Tribune. "But just grateful for the opportunity that we're able to get one."

Dignitaries on hand when the players learned they' would be receiving a truck admitted Utah must jump deeply into the NIL game to recruit the top student-athletes. Utah is moving to the Big 12 in 2024, which traditionally has been a hotbed for high school football.

"I know we can all do more," athletic director Mark Harlan said. "So my challenge to everyone here and then outside of this room is we all need to lean into NIL. It is here. ... So let it not be said that it's not a huge priority of this athletic department, and this athletic director."

Kyle Whittingham, who took over the coaching duties at Utah from Urban Meyer at the end of the 2004 season, said NIL availability is recruiting reality.

"This is huge for our players, it's huge for recruiting going forward. This is going to ... give us a leg up on recruiting, which is what it's all about," he said.

No. 18 Utah (4-1) will host Cal on Saturday.

—Field Level Media