Caitlin Clark creates another record as $3.1 million NIL-valued Iowa star signs multi-year deal with Panini America
Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark has had a memorable last few days after breaking Pete Maravich's record for most points scored in college basketball.
On Wednesday, it was announced she had become the first female athlete to sign a multi-year deal with trading card company Panini America.
Clark, who has an On3 NIL valuation of $3.1 million, will have trading card sets available for pre-order by April.
Caitlin Clark released a statement expressing her delight at signing the deal.
"It’s an honor to partner with Panini America as their first multi-year exclusive female athlete, and I’m excited to collaborate with them on my own collection," Clark said.
Jason Howarth, the company's senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations, praised Clark during the announcement.
"Caitlin is a generational talent, and it is natural that she should be our first multi-year exclusive female athlete," Howarth said. "We’ll have a range of products and memorabilia featuring Caitlin that we believe fans will love."
The deal with Panini America adds to a rich catalog of endorsements signed by Clark, including Gatorade, Gainbridge, Bose, H7R Block, Nike and State Farm. She was previously signed to Panini's trading card rival, Topps.
Caitlin Clark defines marketability
The insane marketability of the popular Caitlin Clark has been described as "Clarkmania." She fills every arena she plays in, with ticket prices skyrocketing to never-before-seen levels.
According to the Big Ten, all tournament tickets sold out a month ago, the first time in conference history, with many bought in anticipation of watching Clark play at Target Center in Minneapolis.
The Panini deal also comes after Puck analyst John Ourand revealed that Fox Sports executives almost designed a unique NIL deal that would have ensured Clark remained in college basketball for her extra year of eligibility.
"Clark is such ratings gold, in fact, that Fox executives contemplated reaching out to other networks to see if they could come up with an enticing NIL offer that would convince her to stay in the college ranks for one more season," Ourand said.
"Alas, talks never materialized (nobody ever approached Clark), and ended before they could get going last week, when the superstar formally announced that she was headed to the WNBA next season. She is the overwhelming favorite to be the top overall pick."
With the Iowa star expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, the rise of Caitlin Clark might just be beginning.