Campus Ink (Urbana, Illinois) announced today the completion of an investment from Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks.
Campus Ink is a screen printing company with locations in Champaign, Urbana, and Chicago, Illinois. In the summer of 2021, it seized upon the NCAA’s implementation of a name, image, and likeness (NIL) policy – which allows college athletes to monetize and use their NIL for promotional purposes – by building a platform that helps athletes earn money through jersey and custom apparel sales.
In September, Campus Ink launched the Illini Store that sold custom and co-licensed merchandise for the University of Illinois men’s basketball team. To date, the players have earned more than $70,000 through the platform.
“With Mark’s investment, we will be able to expand significantly on our mission to teach college students design and sales, manage brands, and help athletes leverage their influence,” said Steven Farag, co-owner of Campus Ink. “We are passionate about empowering athletes to take control of their brand and profit from their name, image, and likeness through custom merchandise. Mark embodies our vision and values as a self-made entrepreneur. We’re grateful for the trust he has placed in the foundation we have built.”
“While the best names in college sports will get taken care of by endorsements and high profile contracts, there are thousands of other student athletes that need help. Campus Ink’s solution is going to change that,” Cuban said.
Campus Ink also runs its Student Designer Program at more than 40 campuses across the country, teaching college students about custom apparel design and sales.
For more information about Campus Ink’s NIL platform, visit nil.store.