Viral McNeese student manager becomes first with NIL deal after taking March Madness by storm

The March Madness legend of McNeese student manager and social media sensation Amir "Aura" Khan continues to grow.

Mar 22, 2025, 11:39 AM Updated: 1:21 pm

The March Madness legend of McNeese student manager and social media sensation Amir “Aura” Khan continues to grow.

HE'S HERE ‼️#MarchMadness @McNeeseMBB pic.twitter.com/1zU6fGMppG

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 22, 2025

While Khan sat behind the bench chatting with filmmaker Spike Lee during the Cowboys’ second-round game against Purdue on Saturday, some of the team’s players wore T-shirts with Khan’s name and picture on them.

The cheerleading squad also wore the shirts, along with the socks that made an appearance on Thursday night, when 12th-seeded McNeese upset Clemson for the school’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.

McNeese cheerleaders are wearing Amir Khan socks 😂🧦 pic.twitter.com/kRwZQo01yL

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 20, 2025

Khan and his sponsored boombox went viral heading into the tournament as the unlikely hype man for the even more unlikely tournament darlings from Lake Charles, Louisiana, becoming the first known basketball manager to receive an NIL deal.

“It’s crazy. Because I never would have imagined this would have ever happened,” Khan said Thursday. “I appreciate all the love and support. And seeing them wearing it means a lot to me.”

Khan also received a custom-made Under Armour tracksuit with additional deals from Buffalo Wild Wings, TurboTax and more, reportedly “all totaling well into the six figures.”

𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍: We’re excited to announce we’ve signed an NIL deal with McNeese State University’s very own @amirk_23.

Legendary team manager Amir “Aura” Khan now has his very own trading cards. pic.twitter.com/3i6etSxlzK

— Topps (@Topps) March 21, 2025

However, McNeese’s Cinderella run was unable to make it past the second round of the tournament, as the 12-seeded Cowboys fell to 4-seeded Purdue to begin Saturday’s action, 76-62.

It appears this won’t be just a flash in the pan for Khan, who will graduate with a sports management degree this spring and is expected to follow McNeese head coach Will Wade to NC State as a graduate assistant.

News: Amir "Aura" Kahn is expected to follow Will Wade to NC State as a GA. As for Wade, he told me he's agreed to a six-year deal. NC State is expected to announce Wade on Sunday.

Kahn also FaceTimed with NC State legend DJ Burns on Friday night.

Story! https://t.co/3w0LODJcmp

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 22, 2025

The Associated Press contributed to this story.