For the first time, Topps is placing game-used NCAA Tournament jersey patches into trading cards—an effort that, in at least one case, began within minutes of a game ending.
Some of the top players in college basketball will be featured on the 1-of-1 cards that will be part of the 2025-26 Bowman U March Madness release.
The process unfolded rapidly following Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson’s NCAA Tournament debut Friday night in San Diego. Less than 20 minutes after Kansas’ 68-60 win over Cal Baptist, Peterson’s jersey patch was already being removed and prepared for transfer to Topps.
By the next morning, Topps was announcing showing off images of what the card would look like.
JUST IN: We’ve acquired the game-worn NCAA patch from top prospect Darryn Peterson’s March Madness debut and it’s going inside a 1-of-1 trading card.
Look for it in packs of Bowman U NOW March Madness, available March 23. pic.twitter.com/vsPDLXyCZy
— Topps (@Topps) March 21, 2026
How the Patch Was Collected
Kansas equipment manager Larry Hare told R1S1 Sports the transaction was part of an NIL program involving Topps and Fanatics that included three players on the Kansas roster, including Peterson, who is expected to be among the top picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The handling of the patches followed a defined authentication process.
“Hare joked that he was a little bit more stern with his instructions to the KU managers than normal after the game to ensure that the three jerseys were cared for in the best way possible,” the website reported.
After the game, Hare easily removed Peterson’s heat-applied NCAA patch—located on the upper right of the jersey—and immediately began documenting it.
The process included:
- Applying matching, serial-numbered and color-coded stickers to both the patch and its authentication paperwork
- Signing documentation verifying authenticity
- Having a witness present during the verification
- Transferring the patch directly to Topps
Topps had flown a representative to the game, who remained in the arena during play and took possession of the patch shortly after the team left the court. Hare said the exchange and documentation were completed within roughly 20 minutes while postgame media availability was still ongoing.
“I didn’t want to sit on (the jerseys) for three days,” Hare said, describing the expedited handoff.
The NCAA Tournament patches themselves are temporary additions to jerseys, applied before each game and replaced in subsequent rounds.
Tournament-Specific Details
Each patch is documented and entered into a Topps database.
“After the game, peel the patch, put one serial number on the patch and the one that matches it on the form,” Hare explained. “And then Topps had somebody here, in the building, for me to hand it to. I had to sign off on it to authenticate it, and my counterpart here at San Diego State (Angie Garza), she was my witness.”
Peterson, who scored 28 points in the game—setting a Kansas record for a freshman in an NCAA Tournament debut—said he had little involvement in the process beyond signing paperwork.
The same process is playing out for numerous players whose tournament patches will be turned into cards.
Product Release
The patches will appear in 1-of-1 cards inserted into packs of the 2025-26 Bowman U NOW March Madness set, which Topps says will go on sale Monday, March 23.
The inclusion of game-used NCAA Tournament patches represents a new step in Topps’ college basketball offerings, made possible through NIL agreements and coordination with schools, equipment staff and on-site representatives.
While Hare said Kansas has worked with Topps before, the tournament patches are a first.
“A lot of first times are happening in the NIL world.”
