Upper Deck Announces College Sports Trading Card Product Representing a Cross-Section of Sports and Female Student-Athletes
Global Collectibles leader acquires NIL and university licenses with The Brandr Group and CLC to produce autographed trading cards of student athletes from a diverse range of colleges and sports
CARLSBAD, CA (July 25, 2024) – Upper Deck today announces new NIL-focused license agreements with The Brandr Group, a student-athlete NIL representation agency, and CLC, the nation's leading collegiate brand licensing company. Through these collaborations, Upper Deck will provide visibility and representation across a wide variety of sports through an expansive trading card line leveling the playing field for female and male student-athletes from a diverse lineup of athletic programs. The Upper Deck World of Sports™ Volume 1 Trading Card Set is designed to celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of college athletes across the country like the University of Nebraska women’s volleyball team with record-setting attendance numbers and back-to-back field hockey champions, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. It will feature an assortment of college programs that are officially licensed through the CLC, the nation’s leading licensing agency for more than 600 of the nation’s top colleges and universities.
For 35 years, Upper Deck has produced high-quality, trading cards, collectibles and memorabilia for a vast roster of world-renowned professional athletes, including popular hockey and basketball players, among many others. Now, with this industry-changing and multidimensional student-athlete NIL deal, Upper Deck has the unique opportunity to create trading card sets featuring the name, image, likeness and signatures of emerging athletes across women’s and men’s sports including softball, gymnastics, field hockey, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and football. Jordy Bahl, a multiple time national champion pitcher, explained: "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."
“NIL partnerships open so many exciting doors for student-athletes on the path to becoming the next generation of greats, an area Upper Deck is known for,” said Jason Masherah, President of Upper Deck. “Not only are we facilitating opportunities for these talented players to establish their personal brand value early on; we’re also paving the way for equal opportunity among men and women in underrepresented sports who bring immense amounts of 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, stated: “Working with Upper Deck means giving countless world-class collegiate athletes the recognition they deserve regardless of the sport they play. We believe 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. Some of the most legendary athletes of all time have had their names on the Upper Deck roster, and now these student-athletes get to join that prestigious list at a unique moment in time as Upper Deck creates one of the most diverse trading card sets to ever hit the market. We can’t wait to see how fans and our student-athletes react.”
The Upper Deck World of Sports Volume 1 Trading Card Set will be available for purchase in local hobby shops and retailers and online. Stay tuned for updates on UpperDeck.com.
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About Upper Deck:
Upper Deck is a global entertainment company creating trading cards, memorabilia, collectibles, games, and online platforms that deliver the experiences collectors crave. Upper Deck has set the unmatched industry standard for quality, authenticity, and innovation and continues to bring generations of fans closer to their favorite athletes and characters with unique and authentic sports and entertainment product offerings, as well as its digital trading ecosystem. The company prides itself on creating collectibles that produce invaluable experiences for sports and entertainment’s most dedicated and loyal fans, with a goal to deliver excellence to the community across the most coveted properties as a means to develop memorable moments for collectors of all kinds.
Find more information at http://www.upperdeck.com, www.UpperDeckBlog.com or follow us on Facebook (/UpperDeck), Instagram (UpperDeckSports), Twitter (UpperDeckSports), and YouTube (UDvids).
About The Brandr Group:
The Brandr Group (TBG) is a brand management, marketing and licensing agency powered by a team with decades of collective management experience for some of the world's largest brands. TBG has emerged as the leading agency in group licensing programs, with rights at more than 90 college athletic programs and their student athletes in the Name, Image and Likeness category including many of the biggest brands in college athletics. TBG partners with prominent brands, colleges, sponsors, corporate trademarks, athletes and events to cultivate, diversify and monetize intellectual property through professional brand management and licensing endeavors. For more information, please visit tbgusa.com.
About CLC:
CLC is the nation’s leading collegiate trademark licensing company with a mission to elevate college brands through insight and innovation. The company is uniquely positioned to deliver consumer connections and brand visibility for institutions through data-driven, customized solutions that include impactful licensed merchandise strategies and innovative marketing platforms to navigate the ever-evolving consumer and retail marketplace. Founded in 1981, CLC is a part of Learfield, the leading media and technology company powering college athletics.
