Coming off a strong rookie year, STARRY®, a great-tasting soda bursting with lemon lime flavor that delivers the crisp, refreshing bite, is bringing a refreshing twist to basketball. The official soft drink of the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League is teaming up with rapper and basketball fan Lil Durk to help fans unlock their on-the-court passion by bringing a different kind of basketball skills competition to college campuses with STARRY FIZZ FEST.
This spring, students across four HBCUs — Norfolk State University, Hampton University, Jackson State University and Morgan State University — will have a shot at more than $333,000 in scholarships and prizes, including a chance to secure an NIL deal traditionally reserved for student-athletes, giving a student a first-of-its-kind opportunity to become one of the new faces of STARRY. The winner will get an all-expenses paid trip to Kia NBA Tip-Off later this year. And like a true star with an NIL deal, their name, image and likeness will be featured on promotional materials for STARRY FIZZ FEST 2.0.
No stranger to holding his own in an arena, Lil Durk is showing students how any fan can have the skills to win and will be making a surprise campus appearance to check out the competition.
“Being competitive doesn’t just apply to sport, life itself is about hunger, drive and teamwork. This initiative is about rewarding students for their grind on and off the court, showing love and supporting our people while chasing their dreams,” Lil Durk said. For the stars off the court, STARRY is also partnering with the PepsiCo Foundation to unlock $80,000 in scholarships across the four universities. The PepsiCo Foundation will award $20,000 to one student at each university to go towards their education to help foster their long-term educational and professional growth. Eligible students can apply online.
“Our mission with STARRY FIZZ FEST is to bring the excitement to basketball fans that the brand is known for while rewarding HBCU students for their passion, amplifying their talent, and offering opportunities that positively impact these universities, their students and their communities,” Kent Montgomery, Senior Vice President, Industry Relations and Multicultural Development, PepsiCo said.
STARRY FIZZ FEST will tip off at Norfolk State University on March 29, followed by Hampton University on April 1, Jackson State University on April 20 and Morgan State University on April 26. Participating students will get the chance to play S-T-A-R-R-Y (a spin on the popular game of H-O-R-S-E), 3PT Knockout (a three-point shootout contest reflective of the STARRY NBA All-Star and HBCU Classic tailgate footprint), and Shaky Shot (inspired by the classic arcade game, with a moving backboard) to claim prizes like STARRY merch and gift cards. For the game of S-T-A-R-R-Y, students will have three minutes to earn six letters by successfully scoring specified shots around the court until a participant spells out S-T-A-R-R-Y where the fastest time on campus wins. One winner from each school will represent their campus at a final competition to showcase their skills and earn major bragging rights.
