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Panini launches line of college cards, starting with football, volleyball

Panini College debuts with three schools, but plans to add more soon

Cover Image for Panini launches line of college cards, starting with football, volleyball
Texas, Ohio State and Nebraska are the first three schools represented in Panini College. (Credit: Panini)

Panini America is expanding its footprint across the NIL space by launching a new platform for collegiate trading cards.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is one of the top players available in the launch. (Credit: Panini)
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is one of the top players available in the launch. (Credit: Panini)

Expected to launch Tuesday, the new Panini College platform will allow athletes at partnering schools to have trading cards created under the Panini NIL brand. Athletes will receive compensation based on card sales, with cards added for each player as the season progresses.

The deal might also include autographed cards.

Panini College debuts with deals in place for football and volleyball players from Ohio State, Nebraska and Texas. Panini plans to add more schools and sports in the coming months.

“We believe that every collegiate athlete, no matter their school, sport or position, should have the ability to have their own trading card,” Jason Howarth, Panini America’s senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations, said in a statement. “Panini College does exactly that, changing the trading card game for all athletes in all sports and allowing them to capitalize on their name, image and likeness."

Panini America has previously held individual NIL deals with athletes such as Texas quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, as well as Nebraska stars like quarterback Dylan Raiola and volleyball All-American Lexi Rodriguez.

Nebraska volleyball star Lexi Rodriguez signed Panini's first deal with a female athlete.
Nebraska volleyball star Lexi Rodriguez signed Panini's first deal with a female athlete.

Rodriguez’s agreement in 2023 represented Panini’s first NIL deal with a female athlete.

Panini College is also the manufacturer’s latest addition to a robust lineup of collegiate products. In addition to a number of Draft Picks releases, which feature players in college uniforms under popular brands such as Prizm, Select and Chronicles, Panini recently released the Caitlin Clark Collection, a set dedicated to the Indiana Fever star’s career at Iowa.

Panini’s program closely follows news OneTeam Partners and ONIT Athlete have agreed to a multi-year partnership to create trading cards for thousands of college athletes. Iowa State, UCLA, Washington, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M and Penn State already have deals in place with products launching soon.

Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.