Dick’s Sporting Goods reported that it is expanding its previously internal influencer program, the Dick’s Varsity Team, to include non-employees who have a “passion for sports and social media.”

“The Dick’s Varsity Team program and its talented content creators far exceeded our expectations over the past couple of years,” said Mark Rooks, VP of Creative, Entertainment and Sponsorships at Dick’s Sporting Goods. “The program’s continued success and the growing demand for authentic, first-person social content are the reasons we’re excited to expand the Varsity Team outside the walls of Dick’s Sporting Goods and bring together a new roster of sports-focused creators.”

Dick’s Varsity Team members are under the mentorship of athletes Tara Davis-Woodhall, Hunter Woodhall and Haley and Hanna Cavinder.

“Sports have changed my life and taken me to places I once only dreamed of,” said Davis-Woodhall, Olympic gold medalist and Track & Field athlete. “I’m excited to partner with Dick’s, serve as a team captain for their Varsity Team program, and help share their mission of supporting athletes on their journeys and telling their stories.”

Woodhall, a Paralympic gold medalist in Track & Field Athlete, added, “Sharing my sport online has allowed me to become a better athlete, that’s why I’m so excited to be a Team Captain for the Dick’s Varsity Team. I believe sport has the power to change the world, and I want to help these athletes achieve their dreams.”

Dick’s will compensate the 2025 Dick’s Varsity Team as follows:

  1. Paid contract to create and post content to its social media channels;
  2. Monthly Dick’s Gift Card to buy product to feature on its channels;
  3. An opportunity to appear on Dick’s social media channels, website, brand videos, photoshoots, and in-store signage;
  4. Early access to select product launches, VIP events, celebrity appearances; and
  5. Gain insight from other content creators, industry experts and monthly learning sessions with Dick’s influencer team and the retailer’s influencer marketing agency, Fohr.

Since launching as an internal influencer program in 2023, Dick’s Varsity Team members have “created over 1,000 pieces of social media content, garnering over 38 million impressions, and have been featured in 10 campaigns for Dick’s Sporting Goods and other national brands, including Away, Carhartt, New Balance, and Brooks.

Image courtesy Dick’s Sporting Goods