• Loading stock data...
Thursday, September 18, 2025

Boise State’s Athlete-Friendly Approach to Trading Cards

  • On Wednesday, Boise State football released a trading card program including every team member.
  • Athletes will get paid for all the cards manufactured, regardless of how many actually sell.
Boise State Athletics

Athletic departments nationwide have begun to manufacture trading cards with the help of NIL rules. But while most agreements implement a royalty-based pay structure, one school is taking a different — and potentially athlete-friendly — approach.

On Wednesday, Boise State football released a trading card program featuring every member of the team. The program, created in part with LEARFIELD’s licensing services, will be distributed through an agreement with local business Jacksons Food Stores. 

In traditional group licensing deals, athletes get a percentage of every item sold. But Jacksons fronted the cost of more than 10,000 trading cards — the minimum amount required by the supplier, President Cory Jackson told Front Office Sports. 

As a result, athletes will get paid for all the cards manufactured, regardless of how many actually sell. 

The cards will be sold in packs of 14. Ten prominent players will receive an extra cut for specialized cards featuring autographs.

While Boise State declined to disclose how much athletes will earn specifically, they did note the fees are about ten times as high as those of Collegiate Licensing Company.

Michael Walsh, who runs Boise State’s NIL strategy, told Front Office Sports the program is “licensing in its truest form.” He added that “Jacksons sees the value in Boise State student-athletes and they are making an investment in that value without hedging,”

The company is prepared to continue that investment. If the cards sell out, Jackson said, its prepared to order another batch.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Baseball

NCAA Settles With Volunteer Baseball Coaches for $49 Million

A similar suit brought by volunteer coaches of other sports remains open.
Sep 13, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (4) carries the football against South Florida Bulls cornerback Ben Knox (1) during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium.

NCAA Eliminates Spring Transfer Portal Window

The change is aimed at curbing the system of “unrestricted free agency.”

CFB TV Ratings Stay Hot As Georgia-Tennessee Sets ABC High of 12.6M

ABC has had four games that have topped 10 million viewers this season.
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) looks to pass during the first quarter against the New Mexico Lobos at Rose Bowl.

UCLA-Tennessee QB Trade Has Been Painful So Far

Iamaleava abruptly left Tennessee for UCLA this past offseason.

Featured Today

Adriunna Brown

Business Is Booming for WNBA’s Top Beauty Pros

A network of stylists is shaping how players look, feel, and perform.
Premier Lacrosse League
September 14, 2025

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
September 13, 2025

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
Sep 13, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back AK Dear (0) tries to outrun Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) during the second half at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Despite Vote Delay, SCORE Act Negotiations Continue on Capitol Hill

Political ad campaigns during college football Saturdays continue as well.
September 14, 2025

College Football’s Costly Start for Virginia Tech, UCLA: Coaches Out

UCLA and Virginia Tech fire their coaches while Notre Dame slumps badly.
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; New Mexico Lobos quarterback Jack Layne (2) reacts after his team scored a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl.
September 15, 2025

UCLA Paid New Mexico $1.2 Million for Friday’s Loss: Payout Game Tracker

The Bruins weren’t the only Power-4 school to lose a buy game and fire their coach.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks with Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., ahead of President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.
September 11, 2025

House Republicans Delay SCORE Act Vote Tentatively Planned for Next Week

They didn’t believe they had enough votes to pass the bill.
Jan 25, 2023; Langley, British Columbia, CAN; Highlights from the CHL Kubota Top Prospects game at the Langley Events Centre
September 10, 2025

NCAA Hockey Scouts Denied Passes for Crucial Recruiting League

The CHL won’t welcome scouts on passes: “It comes across as petty.”
Feb 17, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs guard Jalen Weaver (5) during the first half against the Boise State Broncos at ExtraMile Arena.
September 10, 2025

NCAA Bans 3 Basketball Players for Violating Betting Rules Last Season

The former San Jose State and Fresno State players have lost eligibility.
NFL Congress
exclusive
September 10, 2025

College Sports ‘House of Cards’: Republicans, Lobbyists Work to Secure Votes to..

Several House Republicans criticized the SCORE Act on social media.