Penn State Signs Deal with Fanatics Collectibles and Topps to Create Official Trading Cards

Penn State has entered into an agreement with Fanatics Collectibles and Topps to produce official trading cards for current and former student-athletes.

Topps, which is Fanatics’ sports trading card brand, secured exclusive rights from Penn State and more than 35 other major programs to create official trading cards incorporating university trademarks and name, image and likeness rights of current and former players, according to a news release on Thursday.

The agreement will take effect between 2023 and 2025, but Topps may begin manufacturing and distributing trading cards showcasing Penn State student-athletes as early as the end of this year.

Topps has also separately secured individual NIL trading card rights with nearly 200 student-athletes throughout college football and basketball for cards that will be released under Topps’ BowmanU brand beginning this fall.

“Fanatics has been closely monitoring the ever-evolving NIL landscape, and we felt this was the perfect time to launch multiple, strategic college trading card programs that will allow schools and current student-athletes to create new levels of direct engagement with fans across hundreds of the top programs nationwide,” Derek Eiler, Executive Vice President of Fanatics College, said in a release.

Earlier this year, Penn State dipped its toes into the NIL merchandise landscape by partnering with Fanatics and OneTeam to sell player jerseys.

The agreement comes not a day after Penn State football head coach James Franklin finished his media availability with a passionate conversation about NIL deals, stating that the program needs as much money as other schools for roster management if it wants to compete with its peers.