Campus Ink's NIL Store Surpasses $1 Million Paid to Student-Athletes
In the first two and half years of NIL, Campus Ink's NIL Store has grown to be the leader in the student-athlete merchandise game. From officially licensed jerseys to t-shirts, hoodies and everything in between, the NIL Store has collaborated with superstar athletes such as Paige Bueckers of UConn, Zach Edey of Purdue, Angel Reese of LSU and Caleb Love of Arizona, among many others.
But what makes the NIL Store unique is that it isn't just a platform for superstars to sell their merch, but all athletes. Backed by Mark Cuban, the NIL Store has over 100 NIL licenses, is opening more than 40 stores across the country and signing more than 9,000 athletes to the platform.
From their first athlete signing - then-Illinois basketball player in 2021, now-Warriors starter Brandin Podziemski - to their most recent launch, a collaboration with UConn women's basketball to launch pink jerseys to support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, the NIL Store has now marked a major milestone.
NIL Store today announced they officially surpassed $1 million in athlete payouts through officially licensed NIL merchandise sales across their 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."
“It's great to see Campus Ink returning so much to student-athletes. $1 million is an amazing milestone,” Cuban said in a statement.
Continuing to expand their network, product offerings and collaboration opportunities, Campus Ink recently partnered with The Original Retro Brand to launch a NIL Collective Program that will offer fans new apparel products and member programming.