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Travis Scott, Michael Rubin Visit LSU, Texas and USC on ‘Jack Goes Back to College’ Tour

Fanatics CEO, multi-platinum recording artist are joined by Angel Reese, Jayden Daniels and JuJu Watkins for apparel collection launches

Michael Ehrlich

A mainstay across the women's college basketball landscape - both courtside and via social media this season - multi-platinum recording artist and style icon Travis Scott and his Cactus Jack brand deepened their college sports ties this week by teaming up with Fanatics, Lids and Mitchell & Ness to launch a "Jack Goes Back to College" apparel and accessories collection for 28 universities across the country.

The new line - that fuses collegiate pride and streetwear style - was designed and produced by Cactus Jack and features reimagined school t-shirts, crewnecks, hoodies, shorts, sweatpants and backpacks plus Mitchell & Ness snapback hats all with a unique Cactus Jack twist and university branding.

To kick off the collection, Scott and Fanatics founder and CEO Michael Rubin embarked on a whirlwind 24-hour tour across the country, visiting LSU, Texas and USC campus bookstores to launch the apparel lines, while surprising each school's football team during Spring practice. Content from the visits flooded social media timelines on Thursday with massive crowds lining up to purchase the collection, students and athletes alike engaging with their surprise campus visitors and the new product flying off shelves.

"Travis is a brand himself and there's nobody that connects with culture better than him," Rubin shared with Sports Illustrated from the USC bookstore on Thursday. "He's just done so much to help so many incredible companies connect with their fans better. For me, we want to bring special differentiated merchandise to the college category and then to all sports over time. Travis has a meticulous detail to make great products and there's nobody else that can do what he does. Doing this together with Cactus Jack, Fanatics, Lids and Mitchell & Ness together is incredibly exciting."

At the LSU bookstore, Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and SEC Player of the Year and recent WNBA Draft entry Angel Reese joined Scott and Rubin to open the doors at midnight on Thursday to meet students, unveil the product and work cash registers. During their Texas visit, Scott and Rubin hosted a Q&A with university president Jay Hartzell and then joined the Longhorns for some kick return duties at football practice. Wrapping up their journey at USC, freshman basketball sensations JuJu Watkins and Isaiah Collier appeared at the campus bookstore before Scott and Rubin - Trojan sword in-hand - surprised the football team at their evening training.

The limited-edition apparel collection launched via shop.travisscott.com, Fanatics.com, select Lids locations and campus bookstores operated by Barnes & Noble College at the participating universities.

The "Jack Goes Back to College" collections includes Alabama, Boston University, Cal-Berkley, Central Florida, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Grambling, Houston, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, North Carolina A&T, Northeastern, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Southern, Texas A&M, Texas, Tulane, UCLA, USC and Wisconsin.

The authentic student-athlete and brand integration on display across the country would not be possible without NIL and Rubin is appreciative of the chance to connect with hundreds of top-tier college athletes in a matter of hours.

"For us, NIL has been an incredible opportunity to be able to compensate athletes that mean so much to our business," Rubin added. "College is our second biggest business globally. We wouldn't have a business without the incredible athletes doing what they do on the field, court and ice. Being able to work with college students more closely is a great opportunity. JuJu Watkins and Isaiah Collier - two Fanatics athletes - are here with us at USC right now and we love seeing them here. We couldn't do that without NIL.

Watkins - who took the nation by storm as a freshman, both on the court leading the Women of Troy to the Elite Eight and dominating the NIL space with such partners as Nike, CELSIUS, Cash App, Ritz, Poppi - is connected even deeper to the Fanatics universe via her agency Klutch Sports Group's innovative partnership with Lids.

"Like other brands, we are always looking for interesting things to do with interesting athletes," shared Lawrence Berger, co-founder and partner, Ames Watson, owner of Lids, and chairman, Fanzz Lids Holdings. "Doing it through with Klutch Sports Group was a way to reach a number of athletes at once - female and male - in multiple sports. We thought it was a very authentic way to promote folks who are really into Lids and the customization of our products, so it really spoke to us. We are looking to do more things like this in the future."

As we approach the third anniversary of NIL in July, brands continue to look for innovative ways to collaborate with college athletes across the country and Fanatics - and it's entire roster of brands - continue to set the pace for authentic and consumer-driven partnerships.

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Michael Ehrlich

MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com