The Cavinder Twins, formerly of the Fresno State women's basketball team, were among the first college athletes to announce endorsements. Haley Cavinder has No. 1 on her jersey. Image via Instagram

Thursday marked a milestone day in the debate of whether college athletes should be paid, and two Fresno State basketball players wasted no time in being among the first to take advantage of the ruling.

Sisters Haley and Hanna Cavinder signed an endorsement deal Wednesday with Boost Mobile as well as Six Star Pro Nutrition to become spokeswomen for the companies. Boost Mobile is a telecommunications company and Six Star produces supplements.

Details of the endorsement deal were not disclosed, but a statement from Boost Mobile says the company “is an ideal partner for student athletes, many of whom are on the road frequently and need access to premium wireless services and unlimited talk, text and high-speed data.”

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A post shared by Hanna Cavinder (@hanna.cavinder)

 

A sponsored post on Hanna Cavinder’s Instagram page Thursday shows the pair posing with Six Star Pro Nutrition products — each with a dollar bill in hand.

“The dollar we’re holding symbolizes the first time STUDENT athletes have had the opportunity to be financially compensated for their Name, Image and Likeness and I couldn’t be more excited for that to happen!” the post reads.

The deal makes twins Haley and Hanna among the first to become sponsored collegiate athletes. Interim rules from the NCAA went into effect Thursday allowing athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness, a dispute long-fought between the organization, college students and their advocates.

ON A BILLBOARD IN TIME SQUARE 😭 WHAT IS LIFE… blessed❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZyA4Uim5zB

— Hanna Cavinder (@CavinderHanna) July 1, 2021

 

Laws from a number of states were set to come into effect allowing athletes to benefit from their likenesses, including California.

The interim policy from the NCAA defers to individual state rules on name, image and likeness until either federal legislation or new NCAA rules are adopted, according to a press release from the association.

The NCAA said the relaxed policy still forbids “pay-for-play” and “improper inducements tied to choosing to attend a particular school.”

States weren’t the only governing bodies to have a say. The US Supreme Court on June 21 unanimously supported a previous court decision declaring the NCAA’s rules on how schools can compensate athletes to be in violation of antitrust rules.

“Today is a big step in empowering student athletes like us to take charge of our future and achieve fair recognition for the hard work we put in — both on and off the court,” said Haley Cavinder in a news release from Boost Mobile. “We are excited to partner with Boost and for their support of this big milestone, not just for us, but for student athletes across the country- and for years to come.”

Hanna and Haley — in addition to their own individual TikTok, Twitter and Instagram accounts, share a TikTok, showing videos of the twins dribbling in sync to music or shooting trick shots. Their joint account alone has more than 3.3 million followers.

“Our number one goal is to excel on the court, but off the court, we love to show our creative sides and grow our relationships with the TikTok community,” said Hanna Cavinder. “Boost keeps us connected so that we can upload and share videos that have a little fun, and hopefully inspire the next generation of women to pursue their basketball dreams.”

Hanna and Haley originally come from Arizona and the two of them are among the highest scorers on the team.

Rules from the NCAA restrict what school officials can say in regard to athletic endorsement, but Frank Pucher, media relations with Fresno State Athletics, said the college is committed to supporting their athletes in athletics and education, and that includes personal branding.

In August 2020, the college announced a partnership with Opendorse Ready, a sports technology company that educates athletics on their personal brand and how to approach endorsement deals.