Kentucky’s Otega Oweh inks NIL deal with Buffalo Wild Wings to celebrate game-tying shot vs. Santa Clara

Following his wild game-tying shot against Santa Clara on Friday, Kentucky guard Otega Oweh landed an NIL deal with Buffalo Wild Wings. The agreement celebrates the highlight-reel shot in the Round of 64.

Oweh’s 32-foot shot came as the buzzer sounded in St. Louis on Friday and capped off a wild sequence. He brought the game to a 70-70 tie before Santa Clara’s Allen Graves hit a three-pointer on the other end to put the Broncos ahead, 73-70.

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Although Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek tried to call a timeout after Graves tied it, play continued and Oweh banked in the memorable game-tying shot to force overtime. All told, had 35 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists while leading Kentucky to the thrilling 89-84 win.

One of the top sponsors of March Madness, Buffalo Wild Wings has celebrated some of the tournament’s biggest stars in recent years. The company also signed VCU guard Terrence Hill Jr. after he, too, sent the game against North Carolina to overtime as part of the Rams’ historic comeback. Now, Oweh is aboard after sending the game against Santa Clara to overtime.

“I sent the game to overtime, so Buffalo Wild Wings hooked me up with their Ultimate Sampler, where you can mix and match 4 different apps,” Oweh wrote in his Instagram post. “I picked King’s Hawaiian Cheeseburger Sliders, Mozzarella sticks, Chicken dippers and Onion rings in mine.”

Amid the final sequence, Oweh said he knew just how little time was left on the clock when he caught the inbound pass. He also wasn’t quite ready for the season to be over and wanted to get the best look he could. As it turned out, the bank was open, and Kentucky is dancing into Sunday’s Round of 32.

“I was just trying to get the ball out quick and get as close as I can to the goal,” Oweh said in the postgame press conference. “I was looking at the clock the whole time. Obviously, they hit a three, so we had to hit a three. So I was really just trying to get a shot off and just not wanting the season to end, just locking in, trying to make the shot.”

The NCAA Tournament is a prime time for brands to ink NIL deals with college basketball athletes. Recent data from Opendorse shows men’s basketball NIL earnings, in particular, increased by 92% during the NCAA Tournament. So far, brands have been active as the postseason gets underway, and Buffalo Wild Wings is no exception through the first round.