TLL Staff
Panini America is rolling out its first Ohio State University trading card box set, expanding its line of school-focused collectibles with nearly 250 cards featuring past and present Buckeye athletes.
The set spans multiple programs, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball and women’s lacrosse. It will be sold at retailers, hobby shops, Panini’s website and Ohio State’s official online team store.
Fans will also be able to purchase the collection in person at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, when the defending national champions open their football season against Texas.
Headlining the checklist are current standouts Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs and Carnell Tate, alongside Buckeye legends Archie Griffin, Eddie George, Cris Carter, Katie Smith, Michael Redd and Jaloni Cambridge.
Panini is incorporating its popular Prizm line into the release, including inserts such as Trophy Hunting, Fearless and Fireworks. Other options include Color Blast, On Campus and a new Thunder insert. Autographed cards and hobby-exclusive parallels will also be available, with retail boxes containing four-card packs and hobby boxes offering six-card packs with two guaranteed autographs.
“Ohio State is one of the nation’s marquee athletic programs, most recently showcased with their run to last season’s football title,” said Jason Howarth, Panini America’s senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations. “This new Ohio State box set commemorates so many great Buckeyes, both past and present, and we think that fans will really enjoy it.”
The launch builds on Panini’s ongoing partnership with Ohio State through its Panini College platform, which allows athletes to create officially licensed trading cards under NIL rules. Panini also holds exclusive multi-year autograph deals with several Ohio State athletes, including Downs and quarterbacks Julian Sayin and Tavien St. Clair.
This release is part of a broader expansion of Panini’s work with collegiate teams. Earlier this year, Panini introduced a University of Connecticut basketball box set and plans more NIL-focused collections in the months ahead.