Malik's Way: Malik Washington Inks NIL Deal With Pepsi and Ledo Pizza

Pepsi products have long been found all over campus and at every Maryland Athletics venue. Ledo Pizza has been a staple of SECU Stadium’s menu for years. And now, Malik Washington touchdown passes can be found anywhere Terrapin football is being played. This season, all four are coming together in a first-of-its-kind 360 partnership that unites the Terps’ starting quarterback, Maryland Athletics, Pepsi, and Ledo Pizza.

This deal positions Washington not only as a star on the field, around the stadium, and across College Park, but also as the face of a comprehensive, multi-channel marketing campaign that integrates social media, in-stadium branding, and content captured in full Terrapin uniform inside SECU Stadium. This is the first true exploration of how athletic departments and in-house NIL agencies like One Maryland can help effectively elevate existing partnerships to the benefit of fans, sponsors, athletic departments, and student-athletes. 

"I’m super excited to have Pepsi and Ledo Pizza in my corner this season,” Washington said. “Both are longtime partners of the University of Maryland, and, to me, they’re the perfect pairing for football season. Nothing goes better with game day than an ice-cold Pepsi and a slice of Ledo Pizza. I’m proud to represent brands that mean so much to our fans and the Maryland football community."

For Pepsi, this marks the first-ever season-long NIL deal with a student-athlete. Through Maryland Athletic’s involvement, Washington will create official content in his Maryland gear, appear in stadium activations, and even bring his own pizza creation to concessions. Fans can enjoy “Malik’s Way,” a pepperoni pizza drizzled with hot honey, all season long at SECU Stadium.

It’s a deal built on local loyalty. Maryland Athletics is working with two long-standing partners, Pepsi and Ledo Pizza, to feature an athlete from just down the road in Glen Burnie, MD; a match made in Maryland. Pepsi is proud to bring together two local icons, reinforcing Pepsi’s commitment to pairing great food with the refreshing taste of Pepsi. 

Malik Washington is the perfect spokesperson for this partnership - as a proud Terp and DMV native, he embodies the local pride and energy that make this campaign special.

Advertisements of Washington’s deal will be found around SECU Stadium along with encouragements to try Ledo Pizza “Malik’s Way”, which features pepperoni pizza smothered in hot honey.

Through its LocalEats platform, Pepsi continues to spotlight beloved restaurants around the country and in this case, one that gives College Park its flavor - recognizing an iconic institution like Ledo Pizza and pairing its fan-favorite Pizza with Pepsi. Local Eats Deserve Pepsi is a national initiative that celebrates and supports local restaurants, providing restaurateurs with resources and opportunities to help their businesses thrive.

This four-way collaboration was facilitated by One Maryland, the in-house NIL agency for Maryland student-athletes. The agency expects this agreement to open doors for additional opportunities at Maryland and serve as a model for NIL partnerships across college athletics.

“This partnership showcases the power of alignment between Athletics, our NIL program, and our corporate partners,” said Mandy Allendorfer, Executive Director of One Maryland NIL. “We’re proud to help maximize these opportunities for Malik while strengthening the relationships that mean so much to our fans, and building a blueprint for future NIL deals and activations.” 

The official campaign objective from Pepsi reads:

“We’re bringing the ‘Deserves Pepsi’ campaign to life on campus by partnering with Maryland quarterback Malik Washington as our brand ambassador. Together we’ll create 360-degree presence through social content, in-stadium visibility, and a season-long custom option with Ledo Pizza.

Malik will help promote College Park’s iconic Pepsi and Ledo presence, spotlighting why #pizzadeservesPepsi and help build excitement for gameday, rallying students to attend a Pepsi tailgate party, showing them why tailgating deserves Pepsi. 

He’ll also model our exclusive Pepsi-sponsored giveaway, creating buzz and helping drive students into the stadium.”

From pregame tailgates to in-stadium excitement and branding to a specialty pizza combination, Washington’s deal with Pepsi and Ledo Pizza is sure to be a hit for Maryland’s fans and its quarterback.