For the first time, UND fans can purchase merchandise with current player names
May 2—GRAND FORKS — Jason Carlson, the manager of the Sioux Shop in Ralph Engelstad Arena, has received repeated questions about merchandise over the years.
"The number of times people have asked us if they can get a Jackson Blake, Riese Gaber, Jordan Kawaguchi jersey in the past has been. . . (a lot)," he said. "We've sadly had to tell them we couldn't."
That has changed.
Due to a recent Supreme Court ruling, NCAA athletes can now profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL). That has opened the door for vendors to sell merchandise with the names of active players.
After more than a year of work, the Sioux Shop launched its
NIL-related merchandise store online
Wednesday.
It is starting with 13 active UND athletes — hockey players Dylan James and Kaleb Johnson, football players Jack Teiken, Aidan Behymer, Ben Buxa, Caleb Olson, Riley Gerhardt, Jaden Norby and Hudson Flom, soccer player Athena McGinn and volleyball players Elizabeth Norris, Kennedy Nelson and Maddy Hornyak.
Carlson said it will soon expand. These are just the athletes who were the fastest at completing their paperwork.
Two men's basketball and two women's basketball athletes are expected to be added shortly.
UND athletes of all sports will have a chance to partner with the Sioux Shop. They will all be receiving the same contract offer. It will be a percentage of sales. So, the athletes who have higher-selling merchandise will earn greater profits.
The athlete's royalties will match the school's.
"We researched what other schools are doing," Carlson said. "Some companies are signing a school to an NIL deal, but all the money is being shipped out of town. In our scenario, everything is staying here. Every penny goes back to the player, The Ralph or UND athletics. It's not being shipped to some printing company in Iowa or something."
Right now, there is no ready-made athlete-personalized merchandise in the Sioux Shop. It all
must be ordered.
It will then be printed and shipped.
Carlson said for the most popular athlete merchandise, the Sioux Shop may in the future premake it and have some readily available on game days.
"The Sioux Shop may take some risk on inventory and stock a few items," Carlson said. "You might see some of that in the store, built and ready."
UND's athletic department is supportive of the venture.
"Opportunities that allow our student-athletes to build their brands, connect with fans, and grow their sport is what NIL at the University of North Dakota is all about," UND athletic director Bill Chaves said. "Our student-athletes are able to develop transferable life skills that will serve them beyond their sport. We appreciate Sioux Shop Authentics and their support of North Dakota NIL."
For the fans, it's an opportunity to get player-personalized merchandise, which many have wanted.
"I think it will be a good thing for everybody," Carlson said. "All the fans who have asked us for jerseys can get them. All of those student-athletes coming in will have a chance to build their brand. I think it will be pretty cool for football players to walk through tailgating and see fans wearing their shirts, jerseys or hoodies."
