Complete Guide to March 2024's Sports Card Release Calendar
March features multiple releases that were delayed from February but has a number of high-profile products that make it a pretty exciting month for collectors everywhere — including the long-awaited Upper Deck Series 2 and superstar Connor Bedard’s big chase cards.
Here’s a glance at March’s most important product releases.
Release dates subject to change.
Football
Mar. 8: 2023 Panini Spectra Football
Panini kicks off a busy month of football releases with the latest edition of Spectra. Each box contains four autographs and four relics on average, featuring a wide variety of striking, astral-themed parallels.
Mar. 13: 2023 Panini Illusions Football
Illusions returns for another year with a heavy focus on optical wave parallels and some under-appreciated inserts. Each box will have three autographs, two memorabilia cards and five numbered parallels per box. The big chase here is definitely the case hit Holo Heroes insert, particularly for top rookies like CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson.
Mar. 15: 2023 Panini Zenith Football
Delayed from its initial release in February, Zenith returns for its fourth year as a standalone product, with a heavy focus on the most recent rookie draft class. Zenith also offers our first look at one of the year’s standout releases with previews for Contenders Optic Rookie Tickets landing as a major highlight of the set.
Mar. 27: 2023 Panini Obsidian Football
Another under-appreciated set, Panini Obsidian Football launches as the final release of the month, with a focus on minimalist backgrounds and full color-flood parallels, including the returning white “Contra” parallels. Obsidian is a hit heavy product, with two autographs, two memorabilia, one insert and two base/parallels per box on average.
Basketball
Mar. 6: 2022-23 Panini Flawless Basketball
The final release for 2022-23 basketball rookies is finally upon us. While many are focusing on 2023-24 products and Victor Wembanyama, Flawless is releasing for the previous rookie class, featuring up-and-coming stars like Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren. Flawless is arguably Panini’s highest-end product, so look out for on-card autographs, gemstone cards and Logoman inserts of the top rookies, veterans and legends.
Mar. 6: 2023-24 Panini Origins Basketball
This is one of the year’s first releases that focuses heavily on the rookie class, with a wide variety of space-themed parallels and on-card autographs. There are also SSP inserts found in Origins, including the super-rare Tiger Eyes card.
Mar. 13: 2023-24 Panini Donruss Elite Basketball
The main focus for Donruss Elite is two of the key autograph sets: “Pen Pals” and “Passing the Torch” signatures, which feature a veteran star paired with one of the bright young rookies from the most recent NBA Draft class.
Mar. 22: 2023-24 Panini Contenders Basketball
Contenders returns with Rookie Ticket Autographs once again the main chase for this product, though they will be missing Victor Wembanyama autographs given his exclusive deal with Topps. There are still many rookies to chase however, as well as top veterans like Luka Doncic and Steph Curry.
Baseball
Mar. 13: 2024 Topps Archives Signature Series Baseball
Archives is a unique product in the Topps release calendar, as the cards throughout are all buyback autographs. Each box only contains one of these autographed cards and the highest numbered card is out of 99. Topps opts not to release specific breakdowns of how many of each card each player signs, making it one of the more unique and random rips in the hobby.
Mar. 15: 2023 Bowman Inception Baseball
Bowman Inception returns, focusing on the last year’s class of prospects while showcasing colorful (and often) on-card autographs, patches and booklets. Each box has seven cards, including four base, two autographs and one parallel card.
Hockey
Mar. 6: 2023-24 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey
After a slight delay, 2023/24 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey brings us the highly sought after “Young Guns” rookie card for the latest superstar, Connor Bedard. There’s a great deal of hype anticipated around this set, not only for Bedard but for a very strong rookie class overall.
Other Sports
Mar. 27: 2023-24 Donruss Soccer
Donruss is returning after a very successful 2023 product, and early previews show some key inserts from other Donruss releases, including the new-to-soccer “Crunch Time.” These will be key cards for top rookie sensation Lamine Yamal, who also appears to have a Rookie Kaboom on the way.
Mar. 27: 2024 Topps Chrome UFC
Topps’ acquisition of the UFC license is being put to quick use and pre-orders instantly sold out ahead of the release. Topps also announced this product has been delayed due to a QC issue, so monitor for a checklist and any upcoming news ahead of the launch.
