News

Upper Deck, a global leader in sports collectibles, has announced new licensing agreements with The Brandr Group, a student-athlete NIL representation agency, and CLC, the nation’s leading collegiate brand licensing company. These partnerships pave the way for the creation of a groundbreaking trading card line that will spotlight a diverse range of college athletes across multiple sports.

Upper Deck’s latest initiative, the World of Sports™ Volume 1 Trading Card Set, is designed to celebrate the achievements of student-athletes from colleges across the country. This includes standout programs like the University of Nebraska women’s volleyball team, known for their record-breaking attendance, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s field hockey team, which has claimed back-to-back national titles. The set will feature athletes from a variety of officially licensed college programs under CLC, which represents over 600 of the nation’s top universities.

For 35 years, Upper Deck has been a pioneer in producing high-quality trading cards and memorabilia for professional athletes across various sports. Now, with these new NIL-focused agreements, Upper Deck has the unique opportunity to create trading cards featuring the name, image, likeness, and autographs of emerging college athletes. This includes stars from both women’s and men’s sports, such as softball, gymnastics, field hockey, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and football.

Jordy Bahl, a multiple-time national champion pitcher, expressed her excitement: "It is a privilege to have some of my sweetest memories in the game of softball immortalized in these trading cards. I cannot wait to share them with my family and loved ones, along with fans and other people who have followed my journey."

Jason Masherah, President of Upper Deck, highlighted the importance of these NIL agreements: "Not only are we facilitating opportunities for these talented players to establish their personal brand value early on, but we’re also paving the way for equal opportunity among men and women in underrepresented sports who bring immense success to their schools and deserve to be rewarded for it. We can’t wait to bring these special early moments of their careers into the hands of collectors and fans."

Jim Neish, Vice President of Licensing and Business Development at The Brandr Group, added: "Working with Upper Deck means giving countless world-class collegiate athletes the recognition they deserve regardless of the sport they play. These trading cards will elevate these players' profiles to new heights, whether they cement themselves as one of the greatest student-athletes or go on to storied professional careers."

The Upper Deck World of Sports Volume 1 Trading Card Set will be available for purchase in local hobby shops, retailers, and online. Stay tuned for updates on UpperDeck.com.