“Peacock Classic” – a Rematch of the 2021 NCAA National Championship Game – to Stream Live Exclusively on Peacock Friday, December 2^nd at 8 p.m. ET from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

In Conjunction with NBC Sports Athlete Direct, Student-Athletes on the Gonzaga and Baylor Men’s Basketball Teams to Have Equal NIL Opportunity to Collaborate with the Event Sponsors

Nov. 16, 2022 (New York, NY) — The inaugural ‘Peacock Classic’ men’s college basketball game featuring a 2021 National Championship rematch between Baylor University and Gonzaga University will be presented live exclusively on Peacock at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 2, from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Sanford Sports, in collaboration with Complete Sports Management and Range Media Partners, are partnering with NBCUniversal to present the debut event.

In this landmark deal, participating student-athletes from the Baylor and Gonzaga men’s basketball teams will have the opportunity to partner with the event’s sponsors through name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals facilitated by NBC Sports Athlete Direct. The announcement was made today by Complete Sports Management’s Lea Miller and Range Sports president, Will Funk.

Produced by NBC Sports and presented live exclusively on Peacock, the game marks the first time the two schools will meet since the 2021 National Championship Game, where Baylor defeated Gonzaga, 86-70, marking the Bears’ first-ever NCAA men’s basketball title.

NBC Sports Athlete Direct, a NIL community connecting student-athletes, advertisers and fans, will facilitate all aspects of these groundbreaking NIL deals, marking the first time participating student-athletes will have the opportunity to partner with the sponsors of a game they are playing in and be paid the same rate. Each member of the Baylor and Gonzaga men’s basketball teams who opts-in to the campaign and is eligible to participate via NBC Sports Athlete Direct will promote the sponsors via their personal social media channels. Sanford Sports, with Complete Sports Management, will serve as the event organizers, with Range Media Partners handling TV distribution and commercial partnerships.

“Presenting and sponsoring the first-ever ‘Peacock Classic’ is a historic moment for Peacock, providing fans with a must-see matchup featuring two of college basketball’s premier programs,” said Rick Cordella, President, Programming, NBC Sports, Peacock Sports. “In conjunction with NBC Sports Athlete Direct, we’re excited to offer an innovative NIL opportunity that benefits Gonzaga and Baylor student-athletes.”

Funk said, “Our goal is to create the most visible platform for student-athletes and provide them the best opportunities to showcase their skills and build their brands.  With this event, we want to play a key role in the evolution of collegiate athletics by ensuring that the student-athletes, are given opportunities to monetize their name, image, and likeness.”

“Complete Sports Management is proud to partner with Sanford Sports, Range Media and NBCUniversal’s Peacock on this exciting new endeavor,” said Lea Miller-Tooley, President of CSM. “This is unique in the college basketball space, and we are proud to be at the forefront of it.”

“For the past several years, the Sanford Pentagon has become a destination for division I teams,” said Jesse Smith, vice president of Sanford Sports. “We are thrilled to have Baylor and Gonzaga tip-off on our court. Tickets for this game sold out in the first five minutes they were available to the public, so I guarantee the fanbase will be loud and it will just all around be great basketball played in a memorable atmosphere.”

About Range Sports

Range Sports, part of brand marketing, talent representation and cultural capital firm Range Media Partners works synergistically across Range’s existing departments to produce live and on-demand original sports programming, manage and advise best in class sports talent, properties and IP, and invest in the future of sports content and distribution. Range Sports, in collaboration with Range Media Partners’ Unscripted and Scripted entertainment departments, develops nonfiction projects, documentaries, and real-time series about the most compelling sports moments, stories, teams and athletes. Range Sports also advises properties for media rights sales, corporate/brand partnerships and consults for brands with regards to sports strategy and investment.

About Complete Sports Management

Complete Sports Management is an all-encompassing sports marketing agency whose core capabilities include the creation of sporting events, event management, sponsorship, hospitality packages and ticket promotions. A global brand; but, with a personal touch, Complete Sports Management is responsible for the creation of top-tier sporting events such as the Battle 4 Atlantis Basketball Tournament and College Football’s first ever International FBS Bowl Game, The Bahamas Bowl.

In addition to annual events such as the Battle 4 Atlantis and The Bahamas Bowl, Complete Sports Management runs some of the most prestigious Collegiate Basketball and Football Foreign Tours all over the world. While the company’s specialty is considered to be the Islands of the Bahamas, CSM can be seen in different countries on every continent annually.

About Peacock

In addition to the ‘Peacock Classic,’ Peacock’s expansive programming features live sports coverage including Sunday Night Football, Premier League, MLB Sunday Leadoff, NASCAR, INDYCAR, Notre Dame Football, golf, Olympic sports, horse racing, and much more. Peacock also offers daily sports programming on the NBC Sports channel which streams Peacock Original Brother from Another and staples like The Dan Patrick Show and Pro Football Talk Live. Click here to learn more and to sign up.

About Sanford Sports

Sanford Sports is the modern athletics arm of Sanford Health, the premier rural health system in the United States. Rooted in science and health care, Sanford Sports offers a combination of programs, services, events, facilities and partnerships intended to make active lifestyles accessible and rewarding for people of all ages and abilities.

Based on the 500-acre Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Sanford Sports has been changing the way athletes play for 25 years. With operations in four states, more than one million athletes use Sanford Sports facilities each year. Visit sanfordsports.com for more information.

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