You will soon be able to collect trading cards of your favorite North Carolina Tar Heels that aren’t pros just yet.
On Thursday, Topps announced it has secured the long-term rights to produce trading cards with 35 college partners, set to begin as early as 2023. And among the programs are the Tar Heels.
As part of Fanatics Collectibles, Topps will produce cards for both the UNC football and basketball programs. That will allow fans to collect their favorite players before they get to the big leagues. The deal is part of the new NIL rules and allows cards to be made that are licensed by Topps, something they have not done yet.
Here is what Fanatics said via a statement:
“This collection is the first offering of officially licensed collegiate cards featuring current athlete NIL rights. We’re thrilled at the opportunity to launch these comprehensive programs that combine premier student-athletes and elite institutions to create a best-in-class collegiate trading card product for fans and collectors,” said Dave Leiner, Topps Global Vice President and General Manager.
The timeline for production and release has not been made available but we should see these out some time for the upcoming seasons.
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