Hormel Is Ringing In March Madness With A Truly Smoking Bacon Promotion — Literally

When you think of basketball, you probably don't think of bacon — unless, of course, you're talking about the metaphorical bacon you'll be bringing home if your bracket predictions come true during March Madness. But Hormel wants fans to think about its bacon the next time you're watching college basketball — and it's prepared to bring the game to you in an unconventional way.

Although it specializes in meat, Hormel is more familiar with the world of American sports than you might think. In 2019, Hormel Foods announced that its subsidiary company Applegate entered a partnership with Minor League Baseball to introduce its line of organic hot dogs and hamburgers to stadiums across the company. In 2022, Hormel did a survey during National Tailgating Month to study American's tailgating preferences and food choices, reporting that burgers and hot dogs ranked as two of the most popular choices served at tailgating parties across the country. As long as there are stadium concession stands in need of hot dogs or a tailgating grill without a burger, Hormel Foods wants to be the first thing customers think of.

For March Madness, Hormel wants to give customers the authentic taste of basketball in every bite of its bacon. And the company means that literally, considering the bacon will be produced using part of the court itself.

According to a March 13 press release, Hormel's newest bacon product, "Hardcourt Smoked Hormel Black Label Bacon," will be smoked using the same wood that's used to make college basketball courts.

The northern cherry maple is the wood that's been used to build the final courts of the 2023 basketball tournament. Hormel collaborated with court supplier Connor Sports to produce the exclusive bacon, with Connor Sports providing the woodchips for use in the smoking process. To get a taste of the court, customers can visit the related website from March 13 to March 20 and enter for a chance to win a commemorative pack that includes the bacon itself, a "certificate of authenticity," wood chips, and more bacon coupons.

While it would no doubt be interesting to try bacon that lets fans taste the famous courts, Hormel isn't the first company to go all-out for March Madness. Little Caesars gave out free lunch combos across the country when the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, beat the University of Virginia in 2018. Buffalo Wild Wings is also offering to let customers sleep inside an actual Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant to watch a March Madness game. When it comes to college basketball, everyone wants to get a taste of it — and some lucky few will.