Gators partner with Fanatics and Topps for new NIL deal
Fanatics and Topps announced its college trading card program partnering with the Florida Gators on Thursday.
Florida is one of the first schools that has secured a multi-year, exclusive agreement starting in 2023 with Topps to create official trading card products combining official university trademarks with name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights from both current student-athletes and former players.
The program will feature both physical and digital trading cards with more than 100 of the top universities nationwide. These agreements will include both exclusive and non-exclusive co-branded trading card products, incorporating official university trademarks and featuring current student-athletes and former athletes playing in the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
Florida is one of the first schools that has secured a multi-year, exclusive agreement starting in 2023 with Topps to create official trading card products combining official university trademarks with name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights from both current student-athletes and former players.
Additionally, later this year, Topps will kick off a scaled, non-exclusive program to design, manufacture and distribute trading cards showcasing current college football and basketball student-athletes. As part of the expanded offering, Topps has separately secured NIL trading cards rights with nearly 200 student-athletes that will be released under Topps’ BowmanU brand beginning this fall.
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Product will be available in hobby shops, Topps.com, and big box stores
Gators and NIL
What is NIL?
NCAA rules still prevent schools from paying players directly. College coaches cannot offer high school prospects money as a recruiting enticement to pick their school. Plus, current student-athletes can not receive compensation for their athletic achievements.
Yet, NIL is a workaround for athletes to receive financial compensation for their accomplishments on the field and the brand they built while in college. Players can profit off endorsements, signing autographs, selling apparel, corporate partnerships, charitable appearances, teaching camps, and starting their own businesses, among other things. They can also hire professional service providers for NIL activities.
The University of Florida officially partnered with the Gator Collective. The Gator Guard is also a new, more exclusive, group of donors. They have banded together under Hugh Hathcock’s direction.
“The word booster, I like to think in terms of the word investor. I think sometimes that gets overlooked here,” Napier told Gators Online prior to his Orlando speech. “Hugh has obviously done a lot to help our program and the University of Florida in general. I can’t thank the guy enough. He’s an absolute professional and a guy that has passion for Florida.”
