Former University of Connecticut basketball superstar Emeka Okafor signed the first-ever individual athlete partnership with CSTV: College Sports Television network last month. The deal is a multi-year marketing and promotional agreement, in which Okafor will serve as an on-air and off-air spokesperson for the network.

Okafor earned National Player of the Year and Academic All-American of the Year honors while leading Connecticut to the 2004 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. He was also named the inaugural CSTV Student-Athlete of the Year by CSTV, the first 24-hour college sports network.

“We look forward to working with Emeka to promote our shared ideals, celebrating student-athletes' academic, athletic and community accomplishments. He is the ideal spokesman for CSTV and CollegeSports.com,” said CSTV President-CEO Brian Bedol in a statement.

Okafor's first appearance on behalf of the network took place in May at the network's booth at the National Cable Show at the New Orleans Convention Center.