Panini Expands NIL Push With New College Athlete Card Partnership

Fans of collegiate sports will soon have more options to collect their favorite athletes. Panini America, known in the hobby as one of the world’s leading companies for trading cards, stickers, and digital collectibles, has teamed up with Pathway Sports & Entertainment to develop, market, and sell trading cards featuring hundreds of top American college athletes.

A New Era for Collegiate Athlete Cards

The partnership is kicking off with athletes from some of the premier college programs, including the University of Notre Dame, the University of Michigan, the University of Southern California, and Texas Tech University, with other schools expected to join over time.

The agreement expands on Pathway Sports & Entertainment's royalty program, which is a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) model designed to help college athletes monetize their commercial rights.

Collector demand for collegiate athletes, like Texas Tech softball star Njaree Canady, are on the rise. | Panini America

“Pathway was founded on the premise that the market for collegiate athletes is fragmented, untapped and unlimited,” said Pathway Founding Partner and President Casey Schwab. “Panini is a world-class company that shares our values and goals and our demand for high-quality opportunities on behalf of college athletes.”

What Collectors Can Expect

Panini America and Pathway Sports & Entertainment will offer fans the ability to collect trading cards across football, men’s and women’s basketball, softball, volleyball, and Olympic sports. Hundreds of male and female athletes—as well as some notable school alumni—will be paid to sign cards in select card sets.

The agreement also includes a non-exclusive player licensing royalty program, allowing athlete participants to share in the upside of product sales, similar to programs at the professional level.

Panini America has build a loyal following with college-focused sets, like UCONN Basketball. | Panini America

Collectors can expect the cards to start hitting products and go on sale by late fall through Panini College and Panini Instant platforms, as well as school-specific offerings, multi-school products, and team-centered packs at major retailers and other e-commerce outlets.

“We are thrilled to enter into this unique partnership with Pathway Sports & Entertainment, a leader in driving value for college athletes,” said Jason Howarth, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Athlete Relations. “The college athletics space is a significant market for athletes and for fans, and Panini is proud to once again be at the forefront of 21st-century business.

The Business of NIL Continues to Grow

As most sports fans know, NIL has become big business for top athletes and college and university sports programs, with some estimates as high as $1.9 billion annually, through collective payments, brand endorsements (national and local), appearances, social media, camps and private deals.

Officially reported numbers, while still substantial, are estimated to be around $87 million across 12,000 deals. Either way you slice it, there is a lot of money to be made, with NIL being in its infancy and new opportunities expanding daily.

Panini has focused on cards of NCAA stars that have made the jump to professional sports, including LA Sparks rising star Cameron Brink. | https://ebay.io/m/d65Wx1

Where the Money Is Flowing

Currently, over 60% of NIL money goes to the “Big 3” sports—football, men’s basketball, and baseball. And while there’s a massive gender disparity in NIL money with roughly 95% of collective money going to male athletes, women’s sports are seeing substantial growth in digital and social media visibility, with current and former collegiate athletes like Livvy Dunne, JuJu Watkins, and Flau’jae Johnson all pulling down over $1 million.

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