CHICAGO, Dec. 18, 2023 – Campus Ink, a leader in NIL merchandise, is excited to announce the upcoming launch of its NIL Collective program in collaboration with The Original Retro Brand. The new initiative will directly support Collectives with exciting products & member programming while continuing to prioritize student-athletes.
What is an NIL Collective? NIL Collectives are independent entities created to facilitate opportunities for collegiate athletes to monetize their Name, Image and Likeness, often through various brands & donors.
Offering a solution for NIL Collectives has been a high priority for the Campus Ink NIL Store network, however, outlining a thoughtful approach that creates the most earning opportunities for athletes was keystone.
“Innovating with University partners and Collectives goes beyond simply throwing logos on a product,” emphasized Steven Farag, CEO and co-founder of Campus Ink. “It’s about community building, membership experience, and storytelling that will ultimately benefit the student-athletes. The T-shirts come last.”
Teaming up with The Original Retro Brand, a veteran brand in the sports licensing space, will bring additional product variation & introduce legacy athletes to the store while ensuring current student-athletes still directly benefit.
Original Retro Brand VP of Sales, Jon Hofer, and Campus Ink Co-Founder Jedd Swisher have a relationship that dates back to 2005 when Illinois Men’s Basketball went to the NCAA Final Four. Since then, Hofer, a seasoned industry veteran, has mentored and opened doors for CEO, Steven Farag.
“The team at Campus Ink has quickly made a name for themselves in the NIL Space,” said Hofer, Vice President at Retro Brands. “Their ability to sell into new channels is remarkable and they complement our business extremely well.”
In the coming weeks, Campus Ink will roll out the partnership program with Collectives nationwide. The program will integrate seamlessly within the NIL Store experience, offering its full-service merchandise marketing capabilities with added licensed apparel, legacy athlete collections, and exclusive member benefits & opportunities.
This newest initiative underscores Campus Ink's commitment to putting athletes first. By working with like-minded partners who share in this mission, Campus Ink continues to lead the conversation on how athletes can win big with NIL merchandise opportunities.
Collectives interested in joining this program can sign up here.
ABOUT CAMPUS INK AND THE NIL STORE
Backed by Mark Cuban, Campus Ink expanded into the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) space in 2021 and launched the NIL Store, which serves as a merchandising solution for student-athletes and schools across the country. The NIL Store operates with the firm belief that every student-athlete has an opportunity to capitalize on their NIL and should earn industry-leading payouts. Campus Ink was founded in 1947 on the campus of the University of Illinois and was reimagined in 2015 with an office in downtown Chicago and a production facility in Urbana, Ill., where the company handles all of its production and fulfillment.
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