Fanatics store at Bryant-Denny Stadium

Article posted by Coliseum, August 1^st, 2022

Image: University of Alabama

A new retail merchandise store is coming to the Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (US) and it will be unlike any Alabama gear shop to ever come before it.

‘USA Today’ stated that the University of Alabama announced on July 25^th a new partnership with Fanatics that expands an existing relationship between the two, including licensee rights on fan apparel, e-commerce, collectibles, and more.

The 1,01,821-capacity Bryant-Denny Stadium is an outdoor stadium in the Southeastern United States, on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. It is the home field of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the Southeastern Conference.

The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (US). Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the public universities in Alabama as well as the University of Alabama System.

Fanatics is an American online manufacturer and retailer of licensed sportswear, sports collectibles, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), trading cards, and sports merchandise, as well as sports betting and iGaming.

‘USA Today’ further stated that as part of the agreement, Fanatics will launch the first retail team store to open inside the Bryant-Denny Stadium, offering not only licensed team apparel but also athlete name, image and likeness (NIL) merchandise, trading cards and even game-used memorabilia. Student-athletes will also be able to provide the shop with autographed items for sale, and even engage in meet-and-greet sessions with fans.

The shop, called ‘The Authentic’, is expected to open during the 2022 football season. It’s unclear where in the stadium it will be located.

Said Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne, “Fanatics have been one of Alabama Athletics’ top partners for more than a decade and this new deal elevates our relationship to new heights. By taking advantage of the expanded breadth of Fanatics’ services, we have put our University and student-athletes in a position to maximize sales and brand exposure with Fanatics’ blue-chip family of brands, including Fanatics Commerce, Topps and Candy Digital. I think our fans will be fired up when they see everything come together inside ‘The Authentic’ shop at Bryant-Denny, which we plan to open this season.”

The NIL aspect of the retail store will allow fans to support athletes directly. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is entering its second year allowing athletes to profit from their NIL rights.

The 2022 home schedule includes seven games, beginning September 3^rd against Utah State.

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