College athletes with diabetes face a unique dual challenge: managing a complex medical condition while competing at elite levels. Despite representing a significant population, these athletes can struggle in isolation, without role models or support systems that understand the realities of pursuing athletic excellence with diabetes.
For Season 4 of Dexcom U, Dexcom set out to evolve its pioneering name, image and likeness (NIL) program from a successful athlete partnership platform into a more inclusive, community-driven movement. The goal was to democratize access to the program, uncover exceptional college athletes with diabetes beyond traditional recruitment channels, and amplify their stories to inspire the next generation.
The team also aimed to deepen connections between college athletes and younger athletes with diabetes, creating meaningful experiences that extended beyond a traditional brand sponsorship. At the same time, the program needed to strengthen Dexcom’s leadership in glucose biosensing and bring its “Discover What You’re Made Of” brand promise to life through authentic athlete storytelling and measurable community impact.
The result was Dexcom U’s most ambitious season yet, anchored by the program’s first nationwide open call and an inaugural Signing Day Camp that brought college and youth athletes together in person.
Dexcom U Season 4 was built around three insights from previous program learnings and market research: exceptional college athletes with diabetes were going undiscovered through traditional scouting; young athletes with diabetes craved connection with peers and mentors who understood their journey; and authentic athlete stories consistently resonated more deeply than traditional health marketing or NIL partnerships.
Those insights inspired two major innovations: Dexcom U’s first-ever nationwide open call and an inaugural Signing Day Camp.
Phase 1 — Democratic Discovery: From April through May 2025, Dexcom opened the program to college athletes with diabetes nationwide. The team activated existing Dexcom Warriors on social and launched an earned media and social push led by Baltimore Ravens tight end and Dexcom Warrior Mark Andrews. The effort marked Andrews’ first media interviews following the 2024-2025 season, when criticism of a dropped pass had become intertwined with discussion of his type 1 diabetes. Additional athlete partners amplified the call on social. The result: 200 completed applications from athletes at 99 universities across 29 sports, expanding opportunity beyond the closed-door selection process typical of brand NIL programs.
Phase 2 — Thoughtful Curation: A rigorous evaluation process selected 13 new athletes across diverse sports, schools and backgrounds. They joined eight returning athletes to form a 21-person roster spanning 12 sports.
Phase 3 — Community Building Through Camp: In July, Dexcom hosted its first Signing Day Camp in Baltimore. Andrews hosted alongside NFL legend and Dexcom Stelo Ambassador Mike Golic Sr. The event brought new and returning Dexcom U athletes together with more than 20 youth athletes for a day of education, inspiration and community building. College athletes were celebrated as true stars while also becoming visible mentors for younger athletes navigating diabetes.
Phase 4 — Amplified Launch: In August, Dexcom launched the roster and Signing Day story through coordinated earned, owned and social content, including athlete narratives, behind-the-scenes content and testimonials from athletes, parents and healthcare providers. National and regional storytelling spotlighted individual journeys, including breaking the news of San Diego State basketball player Miles Byrd’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis and giving him a platform to share his story publicly for the first time.
Dexcom U Season 4 exceeded benchmarks across earned, social and digital channels while creating tangible community impact.
The season generated 155 earned media stories and 763 million impressions, with coverage from ESPN, USA Today, SB Nation, the San Diego Union-Tribune and The Baltimore Banner. Eight media outlets attended the inaugural Signing Day Camp, helping extend its athlete and community stories beyond the event itself.
Social performance reached new highs. Sixty-four Dexcom Warrior posts generated 600,967 impressions, up 456.4% from Season 3, and 32,461 engagements, up 711.5%, with an 8.8% average engagement rate. Dexcom-owned content delivered 946,043 total reach and a 3.36% engagement rate; Facebook reach was 120.9% above the channel average, while Instagram achieved an 11.20% engagement rate. Every campaign email achieved an open rate of at least 57%.
Most importantly, the program delivered on its purpose. A healthcare provider shared that Dexcom U helped encourage two young elite athletes with type 1 diabetes who were struggling, saying the program “gave them great hope.”
Across four seasons, Dexcom U has now supported 40+ college athletes across 38 schools and 19 sports, generated 366 earned media placements and 1.8 billion impressions, and driven 139,000 social engagements across 3.8 million reach.
