Fanatics Collectibles, Topps Launch Trading Program Welcoming Over 100 University Partnerships

In addition, Fanatics’ Topps will make its foray into the name, image, and likeness (NIL) arena as it has already secured exclusive rights with over 35 institutions and Power 5 Conference schools including Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M. The expansion will lead to official trading cards products integrating university trademarks with NIL rights from student-athletes and former players.

What’s more, Fanatics’ Topps will launch a non-exclusive program to design, manufacture, and distribute trading cards sporting current student basketball and football athletes at over 100 additional institutions such as Oklahoma, Duke, North Carolina, Iowa and Syracuse.

“Fanatics has been closely monitoring the ever-evolving NIL landscape, and we felt this was the perfect time to launch multiple, strategic college trading card programs that will allow schools and current student-athletes to create new levels of direct engagement with fans across hundreds of the top programs nationwide,” said Derek Eiler, Executive Vice President, Fanatics College, according to a press release. “There are tremendous opportunities for this untapped area of the hobby and to expand further across the collegiate sports landscape.”