The Iowa State Cyclones women’s basketball team has consistently been a solid program under head coach Bill Fennelly. He has overseen an NCAA Tournament appearance in 22 out of 29 seasons.
There are new challenges to remaining competitive in collegiate sports with the emergence of NIL. While a lot of that money goes toward men’s basketball and football, the Cyclones female team is getting in on the action.
Four players, Audi Crooks, Kelsey Joens, Addy Brown and Alisa Williams, have agreed to an NIL deal with Iowa Pork Producers Association. The group will be promoting pork according to the release from the association.
This isn’t the first time that Crooks has been involved in something with the IPPA. In high school, she earned the IPPA Top Producer Award for her stellar performance in the Iowa girl’s state basketball tournament.
She led Bishop Garrigan High School to the title while scoring 49 points in the championship game.
“It’s so cool to kind of come full circle to win that award from the Iowa Pork Producers in high school, and now be a part a partnership with Iowa Pork on the advertising side of it,” Crooks says, via Maggie Malson of Farmer’s Journal Pork Business.
An All-American last season, Crooks became the first freshman to ever earn the honor in Iowa State women’s history. With women’s basketball booming in popularity, opportunities not normally available have become attainable for players as talented as her.
“I think it’s about time,” Crooks says. “Women’s basketball has always been great, but people are just starting to pay attention. It’s better late than never. We have super high hopes for this sport and this team. There’s really no limit to what we can do.”
Joens has a connection to the pork industry different from her teammates. Growing up, she worked at the family restaurant, Joensy’s, which her father took over from her grandfather in 2005.
Their speciality? Porn tenderloin.
“I love pork tenderloins, so I was really excited to be part of this partnership,” Joens says. “I grew up working in the family restaurant. I would clear tables, get drinks for customers, and eventually waited tables and served customers, so with my background, I was thrilled to be able to promote pork.”
Williams is a big fan of the food. When the chance to work alongside a company that produces it, she was excited.
“I’m so excited to be part of this,” the Denton, Texas native said. “I love bacon. I’m dead serious. I eat bacon every day.”
A promotion last season was done with ‘Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’ that Brown had a good time doing. Being asked to partner with Iowa Pork is something she is excited about just as much.
“I’m very excited. I think it’s a cool opportunity,” Brown says, “I remember seeing the commercial last year and I thought it was pretty funny so it’s cool to be a part of it and I’m excited to see how it turns out.”
As part of the NIL deal, $1,000 has been donated to a food bank or food pantry of each athletes choosing from IPPA. Kossuth County Food Pantry, First Church United Food Pantry, Derby Community Food Pantry and Denton Community Food Center were selected by Crooks, Joens, Brown and Williams, respectively.
