Virginia Athletics and Fanatics Announce Long-Term E-Commerce Partnership
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia Athletics and Fanatics, a global digital sports platform, announced Tuesday (Nov. 1) the launch of a long-term e-commerce and mobile partnership in which Fanatics will operate the official online team store of the Virginia Cavaliers.
The new, rapid digital shopping platform is currently live, giving Cavalier fans everywhere the opportunity to shop this holiday season from the largest online assortment of UVA fan gear while also supporting the teams and student-athletes across Virginia Athletics.
The new online store – shop.virginiasports.com – features an assortment of more than 1,700 unique products from University approved licensees, including Fanatics, Nike, Champion, New Era, ’47, Top of the World, WinCraft and many other top brands. Also included are new product collections, including Virginia Vintage, Cavalier Dark Mode and co-branded UVA products that support Operation Hat Trick (OHT). OHT generates awareness and support for the recovery of wounded service members and veterans through the sale of branded merchandise and products.
“Fanatics is the leader in collegiate merchandising, and we are excited to announce our new relationship,” Virginia Director of Athletics Carla Williams said. “Their unmatched ability to connect universities, fan bases and alumni is impressive, and they excel in service, retail operations and brand management offerings.
“A partnership with Fanatics will put us in position to expand our sales and increase brand exposure for the University and our student-athletes. I believe our fans will be excited to have access to all of Fanatics’ options when it comes to supporting our athletics teams through e-commerce and merchandising.”
The online and mobile store will also soon feature jerseys, T-shirts and sweatshirts that give fans the option to customize products with the name and number combinations of current UVA student-athletes across multiple sports.
“We are excited to commence our new partnership with the University of Virginia,” said Derek Eiler, Executive Vice President, Fanatics College. “UVA is a premier academic and athletic institution, and we are proud to align with the University to help connect alumni and fans everywhere with great Cavalier merchandise.”
About Virginia Athletics
Virginia has a storied history of excellence on and off the athletic fields. As of November 2022, the program has won 31 NCAA Championships. UVA placed 465 student-athletes on the 2021-22 ACC Academic Honor Roll and recently placed 11th in the 2021-22 Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup all-sports standings. The Cavalier program placed in the top-25 for the 15th consecutive year.
About Fanatics
Fanatics, Inc. is the ultimate one-stop sports fan destination that ignites and harnesses the passion of fans and maximizes the presence and reach for preeminent sports partners globally. Leveraging long-standing relationships with more than 900 sports properties, a database of more than 90 million consumers worldwide and a trusted brand name, Fanatics is furthering its innovation across the sports landscape by building the leading global digital sports platform, complete with offerings including licensed merchandise, physical and digital trading cards and collectibles, and online gambling and iGaming.