• Loading stock data...
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

Athletes Are Receiving Below-Market Cut of Fanatics CFB Jerseys

  • Athletes participating in the deal are receiving only about $3.92 per jersey sold (worth $140 each).
  • The number appears to be below the industry standard.
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday, Fanatics, with the help of group licensing company OneTeam Partners, launched the largest college football jersey program of the NIL era, featuring jerseys of more than 4,300 athletes. 

It was a major industry milestone, given that officially licensed merchandise using college athletes’ NILs was impossible before NIL rules were changed.

But for players, the terms of the deal leave much to be desired. 

Athletes are receiving only about $3.92 per jersey sold — even though prices are retailing for about $140, according to industry expert and attorney Darren Heitner. That price was confirmed by document shared publicly explaining OneTeam Partners’ rates. That’s less than 5% per jersey, and much lower than the early-industry standard.

Representatives for OneTeam Partners and Fanatics did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

The deal is extremely low compared to one facilitated by its competitor (and former partner) The Brandr Group, for example. The Brandr Group, which has partnered with dozens of schools for group licensing rights, offers athletes $10-$12 for jerseys  — about 10% of the “final invoice price,” according to CEO Wesley Haynes.

The Brandr Group’s deal is “aligned with existing industry standard best practices, and it represents the baseline for negotiations for our jersey programs,” Haynes said in a statement to Front Office Sports.

The M Den, a Michigan-specific group which brokered deals through Valiant, offers athletes about $20 each on jerseys ranging from $120-$180, according to Heitner. (Valiant’s Jared Wangler previously declined to disclose to FOS the specific percentage athletes would receive, but did say it was “significantly higher” than the NFL standard.)

Many college sports industry members previously believed that group licensing agreements — which combine the intellectual property rights of schools/teams and athletes — wouldn’t be possible in college sports at all without an official college athlete union. 

Professional players unions negotiate jersey sale terms with leagues and merchandisers. But companies like The Brandr Group and OneTeam claimed a union wasn’t needed — they could simply set terms and allow athletes to opt into deals. 

Receiving a few dollars per jersey is better than nothing at all, which was the case before NIL rules. 

But the Fanatics/OneTeam deal illustrates how a lack of collective bargaining unit for athletes still means that they’re not getting their full potential of revenues — even if group licensing is technically possible.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Coco Gauff at New York Liberty

How the New York Liberty Became the Hottest Ticket in Town

Once banished to the burbs, the Libs are now Brooklyn’s marquee attraction.
Stanford

John Donahoe Taking Over Stanford Sports After Rocky Nike Tenure

John Donahoe will be Stanford’s AD after a four-year stint running Nike.
Troy Taylor

Ex-Stanford Coach Troy Taylor Sues ESPN for Defamation

Taylor was fired after a pair of 3–9 seasons.
NCAA Track

NIL Collectives Can Still Pay College Athletes, With Some Restrictions

NIL collectives will still play a pivotal role in recruiting.

Featured Today

Las Vegas sign

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.
Limited Hype
July 27, 2025

Sneaker Reselling Was Once Easy Money. Success Is Now Complicated

Vendors need to evolve what they’re selling and how they do it.
HAPPY GILMORE 2. BTS - (L to R) Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore and Rory McIlroy as himself on the set of Happy Gilmore2.
July 26, 2025

‘Cool As Hell’: How ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Hooked Golf’s Top Stars

The process was “cool as hell,” Adam Sandler tells FOS.
Rutgers

Rutgers Finds New Athletic Director After Almost a Year

Rutgers’s previous athletic director, Pat Hobbs, resigned in August 2024.
July 24, 2025

UNC’s Bill Belichick Brings His NFL Swagger to ACC Media Days

UNC is becoming one of the most interesting stories in college football.
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Mitchell Evans (88) runs the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
July 25, 2025

‘More Bark Than Bite’: What Trump’s Executive Order Means for College Sports

“This all comes down to Congress and the courts.”
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
President Donald Trump speaks during the American 250 kickoff event on July 3, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrouds.
July 24, 2025

Trump Signs Executive Order on College Sports Pay

The order marks Trump’s first foray into legislating college sports compensation.
July 24, 2025

ACC’s Phillips on FSU, Clemson: ‘It Can Never Be About a School..

The commissioner isn’t worried about more conference realignment.
Jul 22, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort.
exclusive
July 23, 2025

As Other Power Leagues Shy Away From PE, the Big Ten Continues..

Tony Petitti told FOS conversations were ongoing.
Bill Belichick
July 23, 2025

UNC Sells Out All Football Tickets for Belichick Debut Season

Consistent drama around Belichick’s first college season has only helped ticket sales.