Chipotle Gifts Ohio State University Athletes With Free Food

Chipotle is giving back to student-athletes with free food. The company has teamed up with Ohio State University to ensure these high-performance students will be able to fuel up properly throughout the athletic season.

The company announced in a press release, “For the 2024-25 school year, every scholarship and walk-on student athlete at The Ohio State University, approximately 1,000 in total, will receive a customized Chipotle card granting them one free entrée per week for 15 weeks.”

This collaboration grants all student-athletes at Ohio State University access to free Chipotle for their respective athletic seasons.

There’s a good reason for this particular collaboration. Ohio State University is among the top five four-year universities that consume the most Chipotle, according to the chain. Per Restaurant Business, the other four universities that eat the most Chipotle are Emory University, Atlanta, University of Colorado, Boulder, Arizona State University, Tempe, and University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Chris Brandt, chief brand officer at Chipotle, explained the company’s unique contribution to the athletic program at Ohio State University. “With so many Buckeyes routinely visiting our High Street restaurant on campus and our strong connection to the Columbus community with a Restaurant Support Center in the Arena District, we wanted to pursue a partnership that would increase access to real food for all student athletes at OSU. Typically, only a few star athletes secure NIL deals and brand partnerships, but we wanted to reward all Buckeyes with real ingredients to support their pursuit of academic and athletic excellence.” 

Ohio State’s assistant athletic director of NIL, Logan Hittle, is grateful for the company’s contribution toward the success of its student-athletes. “We are thrilled for this continued partnership with Chipotle,” he said. “This collaboration highlights our commitment to helping student-athletes thrive both on and off the playing surface while partnering with a brand that shares our passion for excellence and authenticity.”

Subsequently, the company’s Chipotle Cultivate Foundation partnered with the university to award a full four-year scholarship to an in-state student attending its College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. This collaboration will cover the total cost of attendance for a student pursuing a degree in agricultural-related studies.

WLWT reported that the company also released an ad called “THE” featuring Ohio State football players TreVeyon Henderson, Denzel Burke, and Jeremiah Smith. The ad begins, “‘THE’ is real. When you get here, you start to see it.”

It continues, “THE first chance to prove it. THE last chance to leave your mark. THE is a standard in everything you do, including the food that you eat. It has to be real. There are no shortcuts to THE. So every time you step onto the field, make them see THE Ohio State Buckeyes.”

The Ohio State Buckeyes season is currently underway.