Truman the Tiger lands NIL deal

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Apparently NIL deals aren't just limited to college athletes, these days.

On Monday, Friskies, a popular cat food brand, announced that Mizzou's mascot - Truman the Tiger - has signed a first-of-its-kind NIL deal with the Frisky program. The deal with bring together some of college athletics' most notable feline mascots.

As a part of the new deal, Friskies will be transforming points that football teams put up on the scoreboard into meals for shelter cats. So, the first points scored by Tiger football in each game will result in a donation of 10,000 shelter meals for shelter cats in Columbia and beyond.

"Every great program starts with great recruits, and we couldn't be more excited to sign some of college sports' most recognizable feline talent," said Friskies Brand Director Jason Dolan said in a press release. "These cats already know how to steal the spotlight and rally their fans, and that's exactly why we wanted them on the Certified Frisky roster. Together, we're turning game day excitement into something bigger by helping cats in need."

Truman the Tiger is joined by Aubie the Tiger (Auburn), Cosmo the Cougar (BYU), Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat (Arizona) and Will D. Cat (Villanova).

The six-cat roster builds on Friskies' 2026 collaboration with the University of Arizona Wildcats, whose postseason run in men's college basketball turned every point into meals for shelter cats.

According to Friskies' press release, this deal came about for Mizzou, thanks to the work of Learfield.