JLab, a personal technology and audio brand, has just announced its newest edition of JLab Playmakers for the 2025-2026 season. This time, they’re teaming up with some of the biggest names in college basketball.
The campaign’s going to spotlight athletes from schools like Arkansas, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Indiana, Ohio State, San Diego State University (SDSU), St. John’s, and TCU. These “JLab Playmakers” will show up in all sorts of marketing, sporting JLab gear both on and off the court.
JLab wants fans to feel closer to their favorite teams and players, and, honestly, to show off their latest audio tech in the process. It’s a pretty clever way to connect with the college basketball crowd.
JLab’s 2025-2026 College Basketball Playmakers
This year’s JLab Playmakers campaign brings together a roster of standout athletes from both men’s and women’s college basketball. You’ll catch these players using JLab headphones, earbuds, and speakers in locker rooms, weight rooms, or even while traveling for games.
The 2025-2026 JLab Playmakers are:
- Meleek Thomas, Men’s Basketball, University of Arkansas
- Caleb Foster, Men’s Basketball, Duke University
- Riley Nelson, Women’s Basketball, Duke University
- Boogie Fland, Men’s Basketball, University of Florida
- Teryn Gardner, Women’s Basketball, Gonzaga University
- Jalen Warley, Men’s Basketball, Gonzaga University
- Chloe Spreen, Women’s Basketball, Indiana University
- Chance Gray, Women’s Basketball, The Ohio State University
- Bruce Thornton, Men’s Basketball, The Ohio State University
- Naomi Panganiban, Women’s Basketball, San Diego State University
- Tae Simmons, Men’s Basketball, San Diego State University
- Bryce Hopkins, Men’s Basketball, St. John’s University
- Beautiful Waheed, Women’s Basketball, St. John’s University
- Maddie Scherr, Women’s Basketball, TCU
Amplifying the College Basketball Experience
The whole idea here is to make college basketball even more exciting for athletes and fans. By weaving JLab’s products into daily routines, they’re hoping to show just how much their tech can help with training and, honestly, just getting through the day.
If you want to follow along, JLab’s Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube will be loaded with updates. The athletes themselves will share their journeys on their own social accounts, too.
The Impact of NIL in College Sports
Back in February 2024, JLab launched its College Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Program. The goal? To support student-athletes in both their sports and academics.
It’s a sign of how college sports are changing. Brands can now work directly with athletes to promote products, and JLab’s jumped right in by partnering with Learfield and JMI Sports to lock in IP rights for nine universities.
Partnerships and Collaborations
Learfield helped secure the IP rights for Arkansas, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Indiana, Ohio State, St. John’s, and TCU. They also brought in Learfield Studios to grab on-campus content at Arkansas and St. John’s.
JMI Sports, which handles multimedia rights for SDSU Athletics, worked with JLab to get the IP rights for SDSU. It’s a pretty good example of how brands can roll out NIL partnerships across different sports and keep things moving all year.
Dynamic Storytelling and Brand Engagement
JLab’s Chief Marketing Officer, Terra Teat, says it’s all about connecting with fans through real stories. By showing what these athletes’ lives are actually like—and how JLab products fit in—they’re hoping to build something more than just a typical ad campaign.
The campaign’s got all kinds of content lined up, including more of JLab’s *From The Lab To the Court* series. That series digs into where sports and technology meet, which is always fun to watch if you’re into that sort of thing.
Innovative Audio Technology
JLab’s always talking about delivering tech people really want to use. They focus on innovation, sure, but also on keeping things practical and affordable.
Based in San Diego, JLab’s been in the game since 2005. They’re still pushing to see just how far personal technology can go.
Conclusion
The 2025-2026 JLab Playmakers campaign is gearing up to shake things up in college basketball. They’re not just spotlighting top athletes—they’re also rolling out some pretty slick audio tech.
JLab’s getting creative with partnerships and tapping into the whole NIL movement. It’s honestly kind of refreshing to see a brand try new ways to connect with fans and actually back student-athletes.
If you’re curious about the full JLab Playmakers roster or want more details on their college sports push, check out JLab’s official announcement.
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