Kansas star Hunter Dickinson has sparked a heated debate among college basketball fans after signing a NIL deal with gaming giant Activision. The partnership ties him to the release of "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6" and "Warzone Season 3," set to drop on Thursday.
Ranked 72nd on the NIL valuation list by On3, Dickinson continues to make headlines outside the court. Dickinson has already partnered with major brands like Adidas, CVS Pharmacy, Wendy’s, Great Clips and Crush Soda, among others.
"Verdansk is coming back! Drop in with your squad on April 3rd #COD_Partner #CallOfDuty #Verdansk #ad @callofduty," Dickinson captioned on Thursday.
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Fans didn’t hold back with their reactions to the NIL news.
“Drop some job applications,” a fan commented.
“Man never seen an NIL deal he didn’t like,” one fan wrote.
“About time to lock in,” another fan wrote.
“This might be the worst one yet,” one fan commented.
“All the flory nil!!!!!” a fan wrote.
“In fact, Hunter Dickinson never locked in during practice that’s why he’s gonna be a used car salesman someday,” another fan commented.
Despite his off-court ventures, questions remain about his NBA future. While he is projected as a second-round pick in June, some analysts believe he might go undrafted.
Dickinson, who transferred to the Jayhawks after a stellar run with Michigan, is in a critical stretch ahead of the draft.
Hunter Dickinson became the heartbeat of the Kansas Jayhawks
Since he transferred from Michigan in 2023, Hunter Dickinson became the heartbeat of Kansas. In his first season with the Jayhawks, they fell in the second of the NCAA Tournament to Gonzaga.
This year, his final collegiate season ended sooner than expected as No. 7-seeded Kansas suffered a 79-72 upset against No. 10-seeded Arkansas in the first round.
Dickinson made waves during his collegiate career. His college basketball journey has ended and the NCAA had a message for him.
"A phenomenal career. Thank you, Hunter Dickinson," NCAA March Madness tweeted on March 20.
At Michigan, he delivered standout performances and became a polarizing figure for Big Ten fans. Dickinson’s move to Kansas marked the next chapter, joining one of the sport's elite programs and leaving an indelible mark on college basketball.
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