5,521 College Athletes Launch Own Merch Stores in Just 30 Days on AthleteMerch.com, Reaching 7,975 Live Storefronts Nationwide
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ATLANTA - illiNews -- In just 30 days, 5,521 college athletes have launched their own online merchandise stores on AthleteMerch.com, bringing the total to 7,975 live storefronts nationwide.

AthleteMerch.com, powered by YOKE, provides student-athletes with a complete, turnkey solution to build and run direct-to-fan merchandise businesses. Each storefront is built around the athlete's name, jersey number, photos, and personal brand. Athletes never manage inventory, production, fulfillment, shipping, or customer service.

The platform handles design, manufacturing, logistics, and instant payouts. Athletes can launch quickly and scale their stores with zero upfront costs or operational risk - removing the traditional barriers that have long limited merchandise opportunities in college sports.

"Every college athlete has poured years of hard work, discipline, and sacrifice into their sport," said Mick Assaf, CEO and Co-Founder of NIL Club / YOKE. "They deserve every possible opportunity to turn that effort into real, sustainable income. AthleteMerch.com delivers exactly that - full ownership and control of their brand, a direct connection to their fans, and a simple path to earn from the value they already create."

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Operating within the NIL Club ecosystem, AthleteMerch.com expands NIL opportunities by adding a consistent, athlete-controlled revenue stream that does not depend on one-off brand deals or external approvals.

Adoption spans every sport and every level of college athletics. While football and basketball athletes are active, so are athletes in golf, gymnastics, swimming, and countless non-revenue programs. This broad participation demonstrates strong demand for stable, athlete-owned income.

Athletes are already using their storefronts to sell apparel and products year-round. They test designs, promote directly to their audiences, and build repeat customers, creating long-term growth rather than relying on short-term campaigns.

The early numbers signal a larger shift: NIL is moving from sponsorships to athlete-owned businesses. AthleteMerch.com provides the infrastructure. Athletes provide the brand and the audience. Together, they are setting a new standard for how college athletes earn.

College athletes ready to launch their own storefront and start earning directly from their fans can get started today at AthleteMerch.com.

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About AthleteMerch.com

AthleteMerch.com is the official merchandise platform powered by YOKE that gives every college student-athlete a simple, turnkey way to build and run their own direct-to-fan online store. Athletes create personalized storefronts around their name, jersey number, photos, and personal brand while YOKE handles design, production, fulfillment, shipping, customer service, and instant payouts.

About NIL Club

NIL Club, developed by YOKE, is the largest athlete monetization platform in the country, connecting more than 650,000 registered student-athletes across all divisions and sports with compliant opportunities to earn from their name, image, and likeness.

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