Ready Nutrition added Gonzaga University as a partner today making them the Official Sports Drink of the Bulldogs Athletic Department. The men’s basketball program is coming off a remarkable season earning the Zags a spot in the 2021 National Championship game before losing in the final round to Baylor. The fast-growing sports nutrition company has investments and resulting co-ownership by NBA Finals Champion and MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and three-time NFL Defensive MVP Aaron Donald. The Sports Techie community blog has followed the liquid fast growth of the Pittsburg, PA based company as they take market share across North America from more established brands like Gatorade and BODYARMOR. Adding Zaga Athletics to their partnership list is another impressive feat by founder Pat Cavanaugh, the former University of Pittsburgh basketball team captain and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Hall of Fame member. The upcoming 2021-22 college sports season for the private Catholic university located in Spokane, WA will have a new Official Sports Drink their student-athletes can consume as Ready specializes in supporting athletes achieving their goals with all-natural sports nutrition products.
Zags Are Ready®
Ready® Sport Drink is now the Zags exclusive isotonic sports drinks that comes loaded with natural benefits making it optimized to fuel and replenishing every Gonzaga student-athlete behind their scientific, all-natural formula featuring three dominant electrolytes, energy from superfruits, and B-Vitamins for complete hydration.
Ready® plans to supply their full selection of performance products including its popular protein water, protein bars and functional snacks.
“We’re looking forward to this partnership with Ready® ” Incoming Gonzaga Director of Athletics Chris Standiford said. “It’s vital that we provide our student-athletes with the best sports nutrition options, and we know that Ready® will be the best choice for Gonzaga.”
WCC Icons
The West Coast Conference is home to Gonzaga. The WCC is one of 8 conferences using Ready® as their Official Sports Drink.
The school’s first basketball season was way back in 1907-08. McCarthey Athletic Center hosts both the men’s and women’s games packed with 6,000 seats filled with a loyal and zany student body as well as a wide variety of loud and thirsty fans in Eastern Washington. Fandom does not get any better than with the Zags.
The men’s team became a National powerhouse under Head Coach Mark Few, entering his 23th season at the helm. The results have made the mid-major conference program one of the most consistent and winningest college basketball programs in the land compiling a 630-124 won/loss record during his tenure. The two-time Naismith Coach of the Year (2017, 2021) is a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame but he is not finished chasing his first elusive national title victory. The past decade has seen the Zags qualify for the NCAA Tournament each year minus the Pandemic canceled 2019-20 tournament, including six runs to the Sweet 16, two to the Elite 8, and two more as the Division I runner up in in 2016-17, and again last season.
“We’re always looking to provide our guys with the best in everything,” said Coach Few. “We used Ready® during the tournament last year and our players loved it. It was an easy decision for us to name Ready® our Official Sports Drink.”
The women’s basketball program earned the WWC crown resulting in automatic qualification to the NCAA Tournament eight of the past 12 years.
“We’re excited to welcome Gonzaga into the Ready® family and thrilled that another elite program and coach has selected our sports drink for their student athletes”, said Ready® Founder and CEO Cavanaugh, himself a former student-athlete and University of Pittsburgh basketball team captain. “Coach Few’s program has such a high standard of excellence and I know he wants the very best for his players and all Gonzaga student-athletes. We’re committed to helping them reach their team and individual goals with our science-based performance products.”
Get Ready.
Sports Techie, I like the Giannis story and how it compares to Gonzaga Athletics. The Greek Freak decided to honor his commitment to the NBA team that drafted him by signing a long-team deal to play in a smaller market. His dedication and MVP type basketball skill sets helped bring the Bucks franchise another NBA Championship after a 50-year drought.
College athletes attending Gonzaga to play hoops are equally as loyal to the university as Giannis is the Bucks, despite the smaller campus and arena, compounded by not playing in a major Conference. Maybe the 2021-22 team, players and coaching staff can finally win an NCAA Championship mimicking the Bucks success behind Giannis by using Ready.
The same type of storyline can be said for Ready after they launched back in 2012 when no one knew about them. Times have changed and today, products can be found in more than 8,000 retail outlets across North America, including a recent expansion into Europe and Latin American markets. Around 200 college and university athletic programs provide their student-athletes with Ready® products. Ready® is also the Official Protein of UCLA Athletics.
Growing up in Washington State, I have friends that attending Gonzaga that will enjoy learning about this new arrangement. I played against their collegiate lacrosse team back in the day, and those guys can drink like champs.
I’ve still not tasted Ready but perhaps you have. I do enjoy recovery drinks after working out, when I have thirst or feel dehydrated, as I am certain many of our readers and followers to do. Ready does lots of promotional giveaways. Perhaps you can win a bottle or six-pack, or locate a distributor via their website and social handles @ready_nutrition.
Gonzaga won’t have to do that anymore as they just hit the all-natural sports drink jackpot with the fresh business relationship with Ready to be the athletic programs official sports drink.
Drink up, Zags!
See you later sportstechie in Seattle, Atlanta and around the world!
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