McNeese State CBB Manager Amir Khan Signs Historic NIL Deals Ahead of March Madness

Thanks to the NIL era, even student managers are getting to capitalize on their 15 minutes of fame.

Ahead of the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, McNeese State’s Amir Khan became the first student manager to secure an endorsement deal. Buffalo Wild Wings, TickPick and Insomnia Cookies have all signed him to an NIL contract:

Khan’s celebrity status stems in part from McNeese State’s tunnel walk. With a boombox strapped around his shoulder, he accompanies the Cowboys out to the court and it makes for quite the visual.

Khan, whose “Aura” nickname is listed as part of his official bio, has helped to embellish his legend.

“If they kept manager stats for rebounding and wiping up wet spots on the court, I’d put up Wilt Chamberlain numbers,” he said in his bio.

Speaking to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, McNeese State head coach Will Wade called Khan a “phenomenal kid” who has had a positive impact on the atmosphere within the locker room.

Celebrate Khan while you can. McNeese State is a No. 12 seed in the Big Dance and Wade has already agreed to become North Carolina State’s next head coach, per multiple reports.

But Khan will at least have something to show from becoming a cult hero this year.