Upper Deck is bringing game-used jersey cards and autographs to collectors of the Canadian Football League. The company announced late Thursday that it had entered into an exclusive, multi-year agreement with the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Canadian Football League Players’ Association (CFLPA) to become the CFL’s first official trading card partner.
Upper Deck already has a strong presence in Canada thanks to its solo deal with the National Hockey League and NHLPA. They’re hoping that goodwill will push Canadian—and maybe some American collectors—to grab a box or two of cards from Canada’s long-running pro league.
The company plans a 180-card base set along with a variety of chase cards.
“Upper Deck’s position as the leader in sports cards and collectibles in Canada will undoubtedly be bolstered by the unveiling of our new CFL line of trading cards,” said Jason Masherah, president of Upper Deck. “We are thrilled to announce this new partnership with the CFL and the CFL Players’ Association, and we hope that the league’s passionate fans will enjoy our inaugural product this fall.”
The cards will be printed in Canada and are scheduled to be released across the country in early October. Each of the 24 packs per box will contain six cards. On average, each box will contain two UD Game Jersey cards, featuring a swatch of a player’s game-worn jersey, as well as six Star Rookies cards, 24 Defense/Special Teams SP cards, and eight O-Pee-Chee Retro cards.
Other highlighted cards in the first-ever CFL set include Game Jersey Patch parallels (numbered to 15), SP1 and SP2 autographed chase cards featuring retired CFL legends like Doug Flutie and Warren Moon, autographed CFL Signatures cards and Grey Cup Moments cards.
Related Stories:
NHL Hobby Draft Busts of the Last 20 Years
2017-18 Upper Deck The Cup Preview
2013-14 The Cup Hockey Arrives
What’s Hot in the Shop: Ultimate Collection NHL Is Living Up To Its Name
Upper Deck Black Diamond Hockey Offers…Diamonds
Upper Deck Makes Last Minute Switch to Include Hertl’s 4th Goal
Upper Deck Says Lower Print Run on The Cup Hockey
