Northwestern's Brooks Barnhizer Signs Buffalo Wild Wings NIL Deal After Win vs. FAU

Brooks Barnhizer had quite the day on-and-off the court Friday.

The Northwestern junior guard helped guide his team to a 77-65 overtime victory over Florida Atlantic to help the Wildcats advance to the second round.

Barnhizer had 13 points and 10 rebounds and really stepped up in the absence of seniors Matthew Nicholson and Ty Berry, who are out for the remainder of the season. However, no points were bigger than the ones he scored at the end of regulation, as he buried a clutch layup that helped send the game to overtime, where the Wildcats would prevail.

The play got some attention from Buffalo Wild Wings as well, as the play activated a promotion at the restaurant where customers who order through the app during a game can win six free boneless wings if the game goes to overtime.

Barnhizer clinched that promotion for the first time during this year's tournamentwith the basket, and the restaurant wasted little time as it announced a NIL deal with Barnhizer.

Northwestern has made the tournament only three times in its program history, with the first coming in 2017. Remarkably, it has never lost in the opening round, and Barnhizer's shot kept that streak alive.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the second round hasn't been as kind. It lost to Gonzaga in 2017 and UCLA in 2023. It will not be a walk in the park to break that skid this year, as it will have to face UConn in the second round. The Huskies earned the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament and won the tournament in 2023.

Still, the Wildcats beat Purdue and Illinois this season, so it is capable of pulling off the upset. Regardless of that future outcome, Barnhizer and Buffalo Wild Wings are officially linked.