Shaquille O’Neal is heading back to school, but this time, he will not be teaching basketball.
The NBA legend and entrepreneur is taking on a new role as “Credit Professor” for Credit One Bank’s Credit Tip Off Tour. The free college initiative will bring financial education, interactive activities and live performances to students this fall.
The tour launches Sept. 14 at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. From there, it will stop at Georgia State University in Atlanta on Oct. 23, Fred’s Bar in Baton Rouge on Nov. 6 and Florida Atlantic University on Nov. 9.
However, these will be far from ordinary classroom sessions.
After talking credit with students, O’Neal will step behind the turntables as DJ Diesel for a live performance.
Shaq Wants Students to Learn From His Mistakes
O’Neal is bringing more than celebrity power to the tour.
The four-time NBA champion has openly discussed making financial mistakes early in his career. Now, he wants young adults to learn from those experiences as they begin managing credit on their own.
The tour focuses on practical lessons that can help students avoid common credit problems. Topics include making payments on time, managing credit utilization, understanding credit history and maintaining a healthy credit mix.
Credit One Bank is also using its Credit Wreckers characters to make those lessons easier to understand.
Characters such as Miss Payment, Max Out, Cancelina and One Track Jack represent different credit mistakes. Through games and activities, students can learn what those behaviors mean and how they can affect their financial futures.
Georgia State Will Get the Shaq Treatment
The tour will make its Atlanta stop at Georgia State University on Oct. 23.
Students will gather at the Student Center East State Ballroom for a Real Credit Chat featuring O’Neal and Credit One Bank Chief Marketing Officer Michael Coleman. James Dumoulin, co-founder of The School of Hard Knocks, will moderate the conversation.
The event will run from 6 to 8 p.m. and will include credit tips, interactive games, prizes and a DJ Diesel performance.
Importantly, the event is free for current GSU students. Attendance is limited to 500 students, and registration is required.
DJ Diesel Will Close Out the Night
While financial education is the focus, entertainment remains a major part of the experience.
O’Neal will switch from Credit Professor to DJ Diesel and deliver a 30-minute live set. The combination gives students a chance to learn about money before ending the night with a high-energy performance.
The tour will also feature different moderators at each stop.
Sports creator Jenna Bandy will lead the conversation at SMU. Dumoulin will moderate the Georgia State and Baton Rouge events, while Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia will host the final stop at Florida Atlantic University.
Shaq’s Credit Tour Targets Young Adults
Credit One Bank created the tour to address a gap in financial education.
Many young adults begin using credit without fully understanding how their decisions can affect them. Therefore, the company wants to meet students early and give them practical information they can use as they build their financial lives.
Each stop will be free and open to up to 500 enrolled students.
For O’Neal, the mission also reflects his belief in lifelong learning.
He has built careers in sports, entertainment, business and music. Now, he is using those experiences to help a younger generation make smarter financial decisions.
And once the lesson ends, Shaq has one more thing planned.
The professor is taking over the DJ booth.
Source: Credit One Bank
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