Alabama announces unique NIL merchandise partnership

On Monday, the University of Alabama announced a long-term partnership with Fanatics to open the first-ever team store in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The store will have gear from officially licensed outlets like Nike and Topps, as well as student-athlete NIL merchandise.

The store will also be an “NIL activation” area for athletes. The Tide players can sell autographed memorabilia, conduct fan meet and greets, and conduct social media marketing to support sales of their NIL merchandise at The Authentic retail space.

Alabama partners with Fanatics for NIL-focused store

The Fanatics-run store should open during the 2022 season. It will have customized Nike player jerseys, customized name and number t-shirts, and headwear. Fans can also buy official game-used memorabilia, on-demand digital trading cards from Topps, and more.

“Fanatics has been one of Alabama Athletics’ top partners for more than a decade and this new deal elevates our relationship to new heights,” Alabama’s Director of Athletics Greg Byrne said. “By taking advantage of the expanded breadth of Fanatics’ services, we have put our University and student-athletes in a position to maximize sales and brand exposure with Fanatics’ blue-chip family of brands, including Fanatics Commerce, Topps, and Candy Digital. I think our fans will be fired up when they see everything come together inside The Authentic shop at Bryant-Denny.”

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According to the program’s news release, Alabama has been Fantatics’ top-selling collegiate partner. This deal highlights yet again how NIL has completely changed things for student-athletes. Just over a year ago, players would be penalized for accepting any compensation for their autographs. Now, Alabama players can sign gear while also selling jerseys with their names on them right in Bryant-Denny.

Additionally, Fanatics Collectibles and Topps secured rights to design, manufacture, and distribute official physical and digital collegiate trading cards. Beginning in 2025, Fanatics Collectibles will be the University’s exclusive trading cards partner. Candy Digital will also create new levels of fan engagement through the creation of digital collectibles and NFTs. Collectibles will be of past Alabama greats and current Crimson Tide student-athletes.