Amid college football uncertainty, the Aflac Duck takes charge as commissioner

Coach Saban and Coach Prime reunite with Aflac in annual college football campaign to help fans tackle the chaos of medical bills when health insurance falls short

COLUMBUS, Ga., Aug. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Just as the college football landscape feels more unpredictable than ever, so too does the growing challenge of medical debt for Americans. That's why the Aflac Duck is taking charge as the commissioner — the Commissioner of Coverage, that is — for the 2025 season, ready to call the shots and set the game plan to help navigate the financial gaps when traditional health insurance doesn't cover everything. For the fifth consecutive year, college football's favorite trio will dust off their blue jackets, with the Aflac Duck stepping into this playful new role, a clever nod to the ongoing chatter about a possible college football commissioner being named. The leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S.¹ will once again team up with coaching legends Nick Saban and Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders for the brand's annual college football campaign.

With 25 years being the face of Aflac's advertising, the Aflac Duck takes on its latest role in the first of two brand-new commercials, "Commissioner of Coverage." Playing off the ongoing debate around the future of college football leadership, and Nick Saban's place in it, the ad appoints the Aflac Duck as the ideal Commissioner of Coverage — one who's uniquely qualified to educate fans on how to help prepare for medical expenses that health insurance doesn't cover.

In the second commercial, "Everyone Wants Aflac," a media frenzy has Coach Prime thinking the spotlight is his, until the real star steps in to explain how Aflac provides cash to help with medical bills, prescriptions, copays and other out-of-pocket medical expenses.

"The chemistry between Coach Prime, Coach Saban and the Aflac Duck is still a winning formula," said Aflac Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Garth Knutson. "Last year's campaign drove increases in both brand awareness and connection year over year. Bringing the trio back together this season was a no brainer."

Aflac's new campaign marks just the beginning of the brand's robust programming throughout the upcoming college football season. The Aflac Kickoff Game returns with a can't-miss doubleheader in Atlanta, featuring Tennessee vs. Syracuse on Aug. 30, and South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech on Aug. 31.

"Some folks have said that I should be the commissioner of college football, but the Aflac Duck has the more important role as the Commissioner of Coverage," said Coach Nick Saban. "Teaming up with Coach Prime and the Aflac Duck for year five has been a lot of fun, and together we're helping fans understand how to help protect themselves from the financial gap left when health insurance ends and medical bills begin." 

"After my cancer diagnosis, I saw firsthand how a medical event can unexpectedly hit a family not just emotionally, but financially too," said Coach Prime. "Coach Saban has always been a leader on and off the field … people have even called for him to be commish! But when it comes to having your back when health insurance falls short, the Aflac Duck is the real MVP — the Commissioner of Coverage."

"Commissioner of Coverage" will debut on ABC during the Aflac Kickoff Game on Aug. 30, and "Everyone Wants Aflac" will air during the football season across linear, digital and social platforms. The campaign also features a new social series called "Coaching Contemplations," with the first installment airing on Aug. 30 during the Kickoff Game and includes digital and social content for brokers highlighting Aflac's ease of doing business and product offerings as well as an employer-focused video promoting Aflac's dental plan. Fans can learn more about Aflac, its brand ambassadors and how the organization is expanding its sports marketing footprint at Aflac.com.

ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED 

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for nearly seven decades to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan. In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products.¹ In Japan, Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force. The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 19 consecutive years (2025) and Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for 24 years (2025). In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2021 and has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (2024) for 11 years. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/español. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under "Sustainability."

¹ LIMRA 2024 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report 

Media contact: Adrienne Bentley, [email protected]

Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or [email protected]

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SOURCE Aflac