The Big Ten Conference kicked off this past weekend with some nail-biters, shocking upsets and excitement – basically everything fans have come to expect from collegiate football (except the throngs of fans in stadiums). With the first week in the record books, now is the perfect time to tweak your fantasy teams while taking a look at some of the stocks that benefit from the return of perhaps America’s true pastime – NCAA football. Once you’re done analyzing quarterbacks and cornerbacks, it may be worth taking the time to look at some of the companies benefiting from this return to (almost) normalcy.
Nike Inc. (Tii:NKE)
While millions of fans show their support for their alma mater or local collegiate team by purchasing Nike’s branded apparel, it may be worth also getting a share of the swoosh with NCAA gridiron action in full swing. Want some fundamentals? The company has an enormous market cap of $163 billion, has been trending upward over the past six months, and pays a quarterly cash dividend of $0.245 per share.
Adidas AG (Tii:ADDYY)
An alternative and competitor to Nike, Adidas also has a sizeable presence in the collegiate football apparel space. The company also has a strong market cap (although not as large as Nike’s), and its stock also has been on an upward trend over the past six months. Because Adidas is an Australian company, it can be a little harder to buy shares in the company. If you do, though, you’ll have exposure outside of the U.S. and American football.
Domino’s Pizza Inc. (Tii:DPZ)
Papa John’s was the favorite pizza of football fans for many years, thanks largely to the company’s official sponsorship of the NFL. With Founder John Schnatter’s well-publicized comments regarding the NFL in 2018, however, the relationship was severed. This leaves Domino’s with a new opportunity to solidify support among football fans, and you can be among those to join the pizza chain’s fan club.
Keurig Dr. Pepper (Tii:KDP)
Yes, Keurig Dr. Pepper is the company that made your coffee pod from this morning and the soda you’ll have at kickoff. If you’ve watched any games over the past few seasons, you have no doubt seen their “Fansville” ad campaign featuring former Oklahoma Sooners All-American Brian Bosworth as the town sheriff. Solidifying its presence in collegiate sports, the company has a tuition giveaway contest where students send in videos explaining what they want out of their college education, and five winners are picked – each representing one of the NCAA’s Power Five athletics conferences: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference, and Southeastern Conference (SEC).
PepsiCo Inc. (Tii:PEP)
PepsiCo might not have the global following that Coca-Cola does, but football is one sport where Pepsi does maintain a more loyal following. The official soda of the NFL, Pepsi is enjoyed by both professional and college football fans. In addition to making the sodas you know, PepsiCo likely also made many of the chips and other snacks on your game day tailgating table. The company owns Lay’s, Ruffles, Doritos, Tostitos, Cheetos, Fritos, Rold Cold, Sun Chips and more. It also has Cracker Jack (though that’s more closely linked to baseball season).
The Walt Disney Company (Tii:DIS)
You might not think of Mickey as a football fan, but his company is certainly steeped in the sport. Walt Disney owns ESPN, which not only routinely broadcasts college games but hosts the wildly popular ESPN College GameDay pre-game program, which has become an institution during its 30-plus-year run. With a share of this stock, shareholders will have a little slice of a company that makes money every time you tune to one of its stations for a game. Perhaps it’s time to start watching those commercials?
Next time you tune into the pregame show before kickoff, don’t just research the players and teams. Check out the details on these companies and see whether you think any are worth drafting into your portfolio.