A new partnership deal between Maroon and Golden (M&G) NIL Collective and Hangry Joe’s was announced on Feb. 17 via a post on X from M&G Collective. The deal aims to increase NIL funding for Texas State athletics and student-athletes.
Per the announcement, the San Marcos-based restaurant Hangry Joe’s will donate 50% of its annual profits to the M&G NIL Collective. The deal is contingent on Hangry Joe’s selling an average of 1,000 meals every week.
“The goal is clear: by hitting this milestone, Hangry Joe’s can help secure NIL funding for Texas State student-athletes, enhancing their opportunities and supporting the future of Bobcat Athletics,” the announcement stated.
M&G Collective Board Member Thaddeus Watkins, a former Texas State football player (2010-12), said his interest in partnering with Hangry Joe’s began with a previous NIL deal led by restaurant franchisee Brandon Wilhem.
“Brandon did a deal last year with Ismail Mahdi, and I went to eat there after he did the deal with [Mahdi], so the marketing worked, and the food was great,” Watkins said. “Brandon, he is just a good person and is someone you wanna do business with. Before we partnered with him, he had done stuff with volleyball, women’s track and field, baseball, softball and football obviously.”
Watkins said the partnership will allow universities like Texas State to ink deals with more athletes. It also creates more opportunities for Bobcat fans to engage with student-athletes. The deal allows M&G Collective to venture into working with other major sports at Texas State.
“We want to get into other sports as well because football has been the primary. We are into baseball [season] now,” Watkins said. “We also want to start working with basketball.”
Hangry Joe’s franchisee and area developer, Brandon Wilhelm, said M&G previously supplied Hangry Joe’s with merchandise and conversations about a partnership began there.
“I really liked where M&G was going as far as being all volunteer work and not being a for-profit company,” Wilhelm said. “I think it really benefits student-athletes more than anything.”
Wilhelm said he hopes the deal can contribute heavily to Texas State athletics.
“I am hoping to write some big checks, it would help [Texas State] secure some athletes on the team(s). Schools the size of Texas State, with the whole NIL deal and profit sharing, it is a challenge for those schools to keep athletes,” Wilhelm said. “I looked at the numbers and I think we can make some pretty big donations and keep some really good players if we hit this goal.”
M&G Collective Board Member Justin Shaffer said the partnership deal between Hangry Joe’s and M&G will provide student-athletes with funds, assisting them with additional life expenses outside of athletics and school.
“If we are able to generate funds to sign these student-athletes to [NIL] deals, that is where the benefit comes from. It is for the additional [expenses] they are not able to take care of because they are so focused on Texas State athletics.”
Texas State women’s track and field athlete Melanie Duron, who recently took home the shot put gold medal at the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships, said the partnership will increase the amount of NIL deals Bobcat athletes receive and also contribute towards athletic gear and facilities.
“It is very hard to get NIL deals here. [M&G and Hangry Joe’s] contributing to us really helps because we will get to upgrade our weight room, get new uniforms as well as the other things we have already upgraded.”
Listed in the partnership announcement are several ways for Bobcat fans to join in and support M&G Collective. Every meal or gift card purchased as well as meal donations, will support the Hangry Joe’s and Maroon and Golden Collective mission to support Bobcat athletics.
