‘Richie’s Tater Shots’: BYU’s Saunders inks NIL deal with great-grandfather’s company

In the 1950s, Francis Nephi Grigg, Saunders’ great-grandfather, co-founded the frozen food company Ore-Ida with his brother. Ore-Ida is most famous for inventing Tater Tots, which remain the company’s signature product.

Now, thanks to a branding update, it’s Ore-Richie.

Saunders scored 25 points for the Cougars in their round of 32 matchup against Wisconsin, which led to a partnership agreement with the company his great-grandfather co-founded before the Sweet 16.

As part of the deal, Ore-Ida will temporarily adopt the name Ore-Richie as long as Saunders and BYU continue in the NCAA tournament.

Additionally, the company has promised to release a limited edition “Richie’s Tater Shots” bag if the Cougars win four more games and capture the national title.

Ore-Ida has also offered free Tater Tots after each of BYU’s tournament victories, a tradition that Saunders’ teammates honored with a “tater tots” chant after their first-round win over VCU.

In the Sweet 16, Saunders and BYU will face the Alabama Crimson Tide at 7:09 p.m. ET on Thursday as they strive for a tournament run — potentially triggering the release of new Tater Tots products.

Staff lunch forces NIT hosting issue for North Texas

North Texas Mean Green vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys: Game Highlights (2:07)

Ben Baby

Mar 26, 2025, 04:20 PM ET

The North Texas Mean Green men’s basketball team has been defeated by two opponents this season: an in-state rival and a staff appreciation lunch.

A luncheon scheduled by the university forced the Mean Green to play on the road for their NIT quarterfinal game against Oklahoma State on Tuesday, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.

Despite multiple NIT appearances, including a championship win in 2023, the university did not reserve the UNT Coliseum, or Super Pit, in case it was needed for postseason games.

North Texas athletic director Jared Mosley explained that the university explored other venue options but couldn’t secure one in time.

“Even if the luncheon could have been moved, we couldn’t guarantee that we’d be selected to host, given the NIT’s planning and television scheduling,” Mosley stated.

In a statement to ESPN, North Texas also referenced a dance competition scheduled for the week, which doesn’t begin until Friday. Had the game been scheduled for Wednesday, there would have been enough time to prepare for the competition at the Super Pit.

It seemed certain that the two-seed Mean Green would host their quarterfinal game, especially after the top-seeded SMU Mustangs were eliminated. However, just before their victory over Arkansas State on Sunday, the scheduling conflict was revealed, marking the win as their final home game of the season. The NIT semifinals and finals will take place at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The women’s team, which is also in the WNIT, has been affected by the same scheduling issues. Coach Jason Burton expressed his frustration, saying after their win on Monday, “We need to make sure we block it off, because the men should have the opportunity to play at home in these tournaments.”

This situation is not the first time a team has faced issues with hosting in the NIT. In 2010, Illinois couldn’t host a game due to Cirque du Soleil’s presence in town. More recently, NYU’s men’s and women’s teams have faced similar scheduling problems.

The Illinois example is more fitting here, but for North Texas, a mid-major, home-court advantage is crucial, as their only shot at the NCAA tournament typically depends on winning their conference tournament. Without that, the NIT becomes their top postseason option.

Despite the absence of a home-court advantage, North Texas defeated Oklahoma State 61-59 in the NIT. Guard Atin Wright led the team with 15 points.

The coaching situation is also evolving. After two successful years, men’s coach Ross Hodge will be leaving North Texas to become the new head coach at West Virginia, sources reported to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello. He is expected to take over after the NIT run. North Texas will face UAB or UC Irvine in the NIT semifinals on April 1.

Let’s hope Hodge’s new schedule in Morgantown won’t be interrupted by unexpected staff lunches.