CHICAGO (Jan. 18, 2024) - The NIL Store, powered by Campus Ink, has officially surpassed the $1 million mark in athlete payouts through officially licensed NIL merchandise sales on the NIL Store network.
“For us, it began with a single athlete, school, and t-shirt," said Steven Farag, Co-founder and CEO of Campus Ink. "Hitting this milestone is an achievement for student-athletes and a significant moment for our company. This is NIL the way it was originally intended and I am grateful for our partners who helped get us here. NIL is complicated and involves uncomfortable discussions. We recognize it brings new challenges, but when we face them together on behalf of the athletes, NIL becomes a transformative force."
Built on the foundation of putting athletes first in a collegiate space that had previously relegated them to the sidelines, the NIL Store has remained true to its mission of providing opportunities to every athlete while paying them more on every sale than anyone in the industry.
Backed by an initial investment from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in March of 2022,
Campus Ink’s NIL Store network has grown precipitously.
“It's great to see campus ink returning so much to student-athletes. $1 million is an amazing milestone,” said Cuban.
Today, the NIL Store has obtained over 100 NIL licenses, opening more than 40 stores nationwide and signing more than 9,000 athletes to the platform.
“Our vision from day one at the NIL Store was clear: to forge an ecosystem where every college athlete can effortlessly unlock their true value, said Adam Cook, VP of Campus Ink Sports. “This achievement is more than a number; it’s a testament to an unwavering commitment and the limitless potential of the athletes we serve. We’re so excited to celebrate this landmark victory with customers, fans, institutional partners, and athletes, knowing it’s the first of many in our journey towards empowering the spirit of collegiate sports.”
What NIL industry leaders, university partners and athletes are saying about Campus Ink’s NIL Store:
Jim Cavale, Athletes.org Founder & Chairman
The way that Campus Ink has packaged up their NIL Store to provide college athletes with a mechanism to create merchandise, sell it online and know that it will be fulfilled while also making them money in real time has been amazing. As athletes have big moments, they need products that people can buy to celebrate those big moments with them. Those fans and others who care about those athletes want to have something to remember those moments with and Campus Ink is not only helping athletes create those products but sell them in an easy way for the consumer to purchase. Seeing them go past a million dollars in athlete payouts is evidence of how big this will be over time. We're excited at athletes.org as we organize athletes to see how our group licensing efforts can mesh with companies like Campus Ink that are executing on the ground every day with current college athletes.
Mit Winter, KennyHertz Perry Attorney & NIL Commentator
Campus Ink and its NIL Store is one of the best stories in the NIL space to date. Not only do they create unique and timely apparel, they also ensure that the athletes whose NILs are being used in the apparel are being fairly compensated. The work they’re doing is great for both consumers and athletes.
Sean Kelly, INFLCR General Manager
We are excited for the team at Campus Ink for surpassing the million dollar milestone in payments processed! Campus Ink's dedication to creating authentic connections with student-athletes leading to customized apparel is unrivaled in the merchandise space. We are proud to be a partner of theirs, helping with automated disclosures of royalty payments to schools and payment processing in a seamless manner.
Bailey Dowling, Alabama Softball & First Signed Female Athlete
“Teaming up with the NIL Store has been one of my favorite collaborations. One of the many challenges that student athletes face is time management due to our busy schedules. The Campus Ink NIL Store made the process easy by listening to my ideas and providing timely feedback, as well as results. I look forward to future collaborations with them and I couldn’t be happier for them reaching this milestone!”
Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Basketball Player
I’m super grateful to have the chance to work with Campus Ink. This has been a great opportunity for me to express my creative ideas and illustrate them through merchandise that Illinois fans get to support and wear. Campus Ink has taken full advantage of NIL and I’m very pleased to work with them.
Luke Goode, Illinois Basketball Player
The NIL Store has given us an opportunity to sell our merch and make money from our names. Working with this company has been great and easy throughout the whole process.
TaMerik Williams, NDSU Football Player
The impact the NIL Store has had on NDSU Athletics and myself is extremely monumental. This is only one milestone of many to come in the future. We appreciate the effort and time spent to help make sure all of NDSU Athletics has an opportunity be part of the NIL Store.
Logan Hittle, Ohio State Assistant AD of NIL
It is no surprise to hear of this incredible accomplishment for the NIL store. Their dedication and commitment to providing ALL athletes an opportunity and platform to pursue NIL earnings is unmatched. We appreciate their support of our athletes!
Rachel Duffy, Syracuse Director of Strategic Partnership & Licensing
It takes a village, and Campus Ink has proven its commitment to student athletes by providing concise products lines, hot market opportunities and dedicated promotions. Its excellent team of employees are engaged not only on the sale of licensed product, but in the overall support of NIL in spaces of education, promotion, and sales. It is of no surprise to me to see their continued success in addition to adding schools by the day.”
Dale Arens, Iowa Assistant AD of Trademark & Licensing
The top priorities for the University of Iowa athletics department are to “Win, Graduate, and Do it Right”. In the ever-changing NIL space, where responsiveness is key in seizing opportunities, we seek to partner with those who similarly share those values with respect our brand but also to the student athletes we serve.
Nick Joos, Iowa State Senior Associate AD/Communications
It is no surprise that Campus Ink and the NIL Store are achieving great success on behalf of student-athletes in the United States. They have an outstanding staff, dedicated to helping every student-athlete who desires the ability to capitalize on their NIL opportunities. What has impressed me the most has been their attention to detail, as well the turnkey process that they have created for our student-athletes to include customized graphics and e-mail blasts. I congratulate Campus Ink and the NIL Store on their milestone achievement and looked forward to watching them continue to have great success in this space for many years to come.
Kimberly Spino, Director of Licensing & Trademarks at Indiana University
IU is proud to be a part of the NIL Store and we are thrilled with the success of the program.
Collin Stoecker, WKU Assistant AD of Student-Athlete Development & NIL
$1 million in athlete payouts shows the continued commitment by Campus Ink and the NIL Store to empowering student-athletes to capitalize on this moment in college athletics. Western Kentucky Athletes and their partnership with the NIL Store has allowed our athletes to become more creative and innovative as entrepreneurs in the process of creating, marketing, and selling personalized merchandise. We are excited to continue to work together to empower student-athletes in the era of Name, Image, and Likeness!
Zach McKay, Louisville Director of NIL Services & Engagement
The Louisville NIL Store stands at the forefront of change, redefining the game by offering industry-leading royalty payouts and pioneering NIL opportunities. In their commitment to service, they have become a resource for student-athletes building their brands.
Troy Goergen, NDSU Senior Assoc. AD - External Ops & Strategic Revenue
Congratulations to the NIL Store for surpassing $1 M in athlete payouts. NDSU is proud to be a partner and excited about what the future holds.”
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