LOUISVILLE, KY – MARCH 21: A general view of the court ahead of the game between the UCLA Bruins and UAB Blazers in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM! Center on March 21, 2015 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The NCAA’s ever-changing NIL landscape is introducing yet another another opportunity for collegiate athletes.
According to reports from sports business insider Darren Rovell, active college athletes will now be included in the trading card industry.
Fanatics, a sports apparel brand, has reportedly signed more than 100 schools and 200 athletes to be used on Topps branded cards and NFTs.
The college sports world took to Twitter to react to this announcement.
“My wallet is not prepared for these to drop,” one excited fan wrote.
“College football cards … wow … the sports memorabilia industry getting a huge injection of cash,” another said.
“We think this entire category is one that will not only bring new collectors into the space, but will also benefit student athletes to expand product offerings available in the marketplace,” Derek Eiler, executive vice president of Fanatics’ college division said, per CNBC.
The company did not reveal how much athletes would be compensated for their appearance on these cards. They did say compensation will vary depending on notoriety and public profile.
Fanatics acquired Topps earlier this year.
