News

Panini America has launched an innovative Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) platform called Panini College, designed to empower collegiate athletes by featuring them on personalized trading cards under the Panini NIL brand. This platform enables athletes from partner universities to have their own trading cards available for purchase by fans and as personal keepsakes. Participating athletes will receive compensation based on the sales of their individual cards. As sports seasons commence, more players will be added to the lineup, and select athletes will offer autographed versions of their cards.

The initial rollout includes football and volleyball players from three prominent universities:

• Ohio State University
• University of Nebraska
• University of Texas

Over the next few months, Panini College plans to expand its reach by partnering with additional schools and incorporating more sports disciplines nationwide.

The Panini College platform is set to go live on Tuesday, September 3rd, accessible at college.paniniamerica.net. New products and athlete cards will continue to be introduced throughout the 2024-25 academic year.

"We believe that every collegiate athlete, regardless of their school, sport, or position, should have the opportunity to have their own trading card," said Jason Howarth, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations for Panini America. "Panini College makes this possible, revolutionizing the trading card industry for all athletes and allowing them to capitalize on their name, image, and likeness. As we broaden our network of partner schools and include more sports, we're excited to offer even more opportunities to recognize and reward athletes while providing compelling products to fans across the country."

Expanding Panini's Presence in Collegiate NIL

Panini College is the latest addition to Panini's significant involvement in the collegiate NIL space. The company's athlete partnerships boast notable names such as:

• Lexi Rodriguez, University of Nebraska volleyball All-American and Panini's first female NIL athlete
• Quinn Ewers
• Tre Johnson
• Arch Manning
• Dylan Raiola
• Julian Sayin
• Zachariah Branch

Earlier this year, Panini released the highly successful Caitlin Clark Collection, a multi-card set celebrating Clark's exceptional basketball career at the University of Iowa.

About Panini America

Panini America continues to lead the industry in producing collegiate-focused trading card products. With the introduction of Panini College, the company reaffirms its commitment to supporting collegiate athletes and enhancing fan engagement through innovative collectibles.