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Drake's OVO releases limited edition college collection featuring Kentucky, North Carolina

Nakos updated headshotby:Pete Nakos•09/27/23•

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OVO
OVO via X

Come this college basketball season, October’s Very Own (OVO) clothing will be on college campuses at some of the top programs in the nation.

The brand founded by Drake, 40 and Oliver El-Khatib have found success licensing with a number of sports. OVO has worked with some of the top professional leagues, including the NBA, NFL and MLB. Now the clothing company is stretching into the world of college sports.

Formally announced on Wednesday, the brand will be releasing an NCAA limited-edition collection with Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina, Memphis and Texas.

Set to drop on Friday, the collection will include a range of items including hats, hoodies, basketball shorts and varsity jackets. The OVO owl will be featured on each piece of clothing. Colors and marks from each college will be included, too. Pricing has not been released.

It’s a smart move for the brand. Popular in the professional ranks, OVO will be able to stretch to new markets.

Drake and the OVO brand have been closely connected to college basketball recently. Kentucky head coach John Calipari got the keys to Drake’s $100 million mansion this summer so his team could practice. The rapper and singer has been around the program since the early 2010s; he even received a custom ring for the Wildcats’ 2012 national championship.

He also has a connection to Memphis. Drake is frequently in the city to record music videos and he received a key to the city earlier this year.

More brands continue to license college marks, in part due to athletes being more visible because of social media and NIL. Vanessa Bryant announced on Instagram earlier this month that UConn, USC, Kentucky, Oregon, Duke and LSU will partner with the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation this year. All Nike schools, players from the five programs will be wearing Kobe Bryant and Gigi Bryant shoes throughout the 2023-2024 season.

And in August, Mitchell & Ness added 60 new university partners, including Alabama, Oregon, Kentucky, Penn State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Clemson, Florida State and Georgia.