Texas, ShopBack launch shopping rewards platform that’ll support NIL for Longhorn athletes

Texas and the mobile shopping platform ShopBack announced a new partnership on Friday that makes ShopBack the official shopping rewards sponsor of the Texas Longhorns. According to a release, the partnership gives “Longhorns fans new ways to earn cashback and access exclusive offers from leading retailers, while delivering campus, gameday, student programming and year-round fan engagement.” [Sign up for Inside Texas for $1 then get 50% off your first year!] According to the release, there will be NIL opportunities tied to content, appearances, and fan activations. The sponsorship also created the “Take It to the House” sweepstakes. That will give fans the chance to win up to $25,000 when the Longhorns return a kickoff or punt for a touchdown. “The University of Texas has one of the most passionate and powerful fan communities in the country, and we are proud to build with Longhorn Nation as ShopBack grows in the U.S.,” said Carolina Paradas, General Manager of North America at ShopBack. “Younger consumers already shop mobile-first, and rewards should be just as dynamic, useful and connected to how they discover, buy and engage with brands. This relationship brings our vision to life by giving students, alumni and fans real value back through everyday purchases, while helping leading retailers show up in moments that already matter.” The deal was put together by Longhorn Sports Properties, a wing of Learfield. The release announced there will be a “ShopBack Gate” at Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium. “This innovative new collaboration with ShopBack connects their industry-leading commercial platforms to our great fans and the Texas sports community at a time when we are experiencing tremendous growth of our Texas brand at retail,” said Drew Martin, Executive Senior Associate athletics director for external affairs for Texas Athletics. “Coming off another record year for sales of Texas branded merchandise, the ShopBack platform is a win-win for our Longhorns fans who can now support the university through the purchase of Texas gear and other items while also earning rewards for themselves.” Said Vice President of Longhorn Sports Properties Lucas Motta, “We’re proud to welcome ShopBack as our Official Shopping Rewards Sponsor and are excited for them to deliver immediate value to Longhorn students, fans, and alumni by rewarding them with cashback on purchases they’re already making from everyday essentials to travel and more. ShopBack’s commitment to Texas Athletics while creating meaningful benefits for the people most passionate about the Longhorns is exactly what we look for in a partner. We are excited to work with their team as they continue to build their presence in Austin.” According to the release, the program will begin rolling out this summer with freshman orientation activations and expand through the 2026–27 athletics calendar across football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball. ShopBack is described in the press release as “a shopping and rewards platform that helps shoppers get more out of every purchase. Trusted by over 20 million members across 13 markets, ShopBack officially launched in the U.S. in 2025, bringing exclusive Cashback, personalized deals and new ways to save through gamified shopping experiences.”