Maryland women's basketball star Saylor Poffenbarger signs NIL deal with CAVA ahead of 2025 NCAA Tournament

Ahmed Ghafir
Mar 17
2 min read

WASHINGTON, DC (March 17, 2025) – Maryland women’s basketball star Saylor Poffenbarger is one of six student-athletes across college basketball to partner with CAVA, the category-defining Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand, in a new NIL marketing campaign during the upcoming 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Poffenbarger joins Mark Sears (Alabama), Aneesah Morrow (LSU), Chaz Lanier (Tennessee), Madison Booker (Texas) and Aaliyah Moore (Texas).

“Being a student-athlete means juggling a lot—practices, classes, games. CAVA makes it easy to stay on top of my nutrition with meals that fit my lifestyle and keep me ready for whatever comes next,” she said via release.

Through a series of engaging social media posts and creative content, these athletes will share how CAVA’s Mediterranean food supports their well-being and plays a crucial role in their routine — providing nutritious and convenient fuel for their busy lifestyles and competitive journeys.

“Our partnership with some of the most electrifying athletes in college basketball is a testament to CAVA’s commitment to fueling peak performance,” said Andy Rebhun, Chief Experience & Marketing Officer at CAVA. “As they compete on the biggest stage of the college basketball tournament and beyond, we’re providing flavorful meals that help them stay at the top of their game.”

The campaign will roll out across digital and social platforms throughout the college basketball tournament featuring exclusive athlete content, behind-the-scenes footage, and interactive fan engagement elements.

Yellow Dot Sports Marketing, a leader in NIL-driven campaigns, collaborated with CAVA to bring this initiative to life, ensuring authentic storytelling that resonates with both sports fans and CAVA fans alike.

For more information and to follow the campaign, visit https://cava.com/ and https://www.yellowdotsportsmarketing.com/.

About CAVA

CAVA is the category-defining Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand, bringing together healthful food and bold, satisfying flavors at scale. Our brand and our opportunity transcend the Mediterranean category to compete in the large and growing limited-service restaurant sector as well as the health and wellness food category. CAVA serves guests across gender lines, age groups, and income levels and benefits from generational tailwinds created by consumer demand for healthy living and a demographic shift towards greater ethnic diversity. We meet consumers’ desires to engage with convenient, authentic, purpose-driven brands that view food as a source of self-expression. The broad appeal of our food combined with these favorable industry trends drive our vast opportunity for continued growth.

About Yellow Dot Sports Marketing

Yellow Dot Sports Marketing is an industry leading sports marketing agency specializing in NIL and college athlete marketing. Working with top brands and athletes, Yellow Dot delivers innovative and impactful campaigns, in the NIL space, that resonate with fans and consumers alike.

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