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Washington State Football and Fanatics Announce College Athlete Group Licensing Program for Jerseys

Mar 30, 2022

PULLMAN, Wash. – In 1894, the Cougars of Washington Agricultural College donned the Crimson and Gray in the first Battle of the Palouse in a 10-0 victory at Idaho. One hundred and twenty-eight years later, when WSU wears the Crimson and Gray in the 2022 edition of the Battle of the Palouse, the Cougar athletes competing will have the opportunity to earn royalties from the sale of customized football jerseys. Fanatics will offer customizable Washington State Nike jerseys with the name of players that choose to participate in the group licensing program administered by OneTeam Partners. Washington State Athletics will look to expand opportunities to other sports as they become available.
 
"Aloha. Fortunately, I've been given the chance to benefit from my name, image and likeness and I'm pleased to provide fans the opportunity to support my legacy and the path that led me to where I am today," said WSU football student-athlete Lincoln Victor. "With the recent release of jersey sales, I'm very excited to see where this opportunity leads, and I can't wait to see COUGS in my #5 jersey all over the world. Mahalo, and Go Cougs!"

Check out the Coug Marketplace, powered by Icon Source Suite, HERE to learn more about NIL opportunities with all WSU athletes. Contact WSU Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, Sherman Neal II, at sherman.neal@wsu.edu for additional information on NIL opportunities.
 
Fanatics, the global leader in licensed sports merchandise, is the official e-commerce partner of the Cougs. "We are excited to launch the Washington State football player jersey program this fall to develop a deeper connection between Washington State, its athletes and fans. Broad-scale group rights for college athletes, including Cougars, is the only pathway to bring this program forward, and our partnership with OneTeam Partners does just that" said Derek Eiler, Executive VP of Fanatics College.
 
Representing group rights across professional football, basketball, baseball, soccer, rugby, and all college sports, OneTeam specializes in group licensing, marketing, media, and investing and works to maximize the value of NIL across digital games, trading cards, apparel, merchandise, and more. In February 2022, Fanatics and OneTeam announced a historic partnership to provide current college football players the opportunity to be compensated for inclusion in a broad-scale, multi-school jersey customization program.
 
"We couldn't be more excited to provide this opportunity to Cougar football players!," said Malaika Underwood, Senior Vice President of Licensing, OneTeam Partners. "This fall, for the first time in history, fans will have the chance to buy a jersey with their favorite player's name and number.  We look forward to bringing more opportunities to more athletes soon."