On April 3, graduate student quarterback Jordan McCloud signed his first NIL deal through Texas State University by partnering with a local family-owned business, A.J.’s Ranch Road Grill.
A.J.’s Ranch Road Grill has been Texas State University Alumni-owned since 2013.
The deal was initiated by McCloud’s agency, Lionheart Sports Agency, which contacted the business owner, A.J. Napoles.
“It was kind of surreal at first because I didn’t know [McCloud] had come and eaten here before,” Napoles said.
At the press conference following the annual maroon and gold spring game, McCloud called A.J.’s Ranch Road Grill his “spot”.
Napoles said the NIL deal with McCloud has gone well and inspired new menu items.
“[McCloud] promotes the stuff we need off the menu and [does] some collaborations,” Napoles said. “This summer, we will be featuring a Jordan McCloud menu.”
According to Napoles, McCloud’s promotions have helped his business gain more customers and attention.
“I met a lot of contacts I probably wouldn’t have met, like the president of Texas State,” Napoles said. “It’s been really cool because they know I’m a small business and that I pay for a lot of things out of pocket.”
This is only the beginning of A.J. Ranch Road Grill’s new NIL partnership with McCloud. According to Napoles, they have plans for the summer to bring in even more traffic.
“We’re going to do some different kinds of promotion events like jersey signings and field-side football tickets,” Napoles said.
