Hobby Musings: Topps Back in Football, Bowman U With several new players joining the NFL ranks, collectors will be looking to add their cards and autographs to their collections. Topps is looking to help fill that demand with its line of Bowman football products. To find out more about the company’s return to the football market, I had the chance to catch up with Brand Manager, Aaron Abrams.

KS: How did the concept for Bowman Chrome University Football come about?
AA: We thought doing Bowman was a no-brainer since that’s our marquee brand to find young stars, but we wanted to differentiate between our Baseball line of Bowman that shows prospect players in their pro uniform, and this rendition that would be collegiate focused. From there, Bowman University was birthed bringing the college campus spirit to the hobby!

KS: How has prepping for this product been different than something out of one of your other brands like baseball, if at all?
AA: To prep for a brand like this, there is a ton of outreach to all types of players from all levels of the game for image rights, auto deals, etc. A product of this nature definitely takes a ton more planning and coordination from all levels across the entire Topps team!

KS: Is the checklist only including players who are coming out for the draft this year, or does it also include players slated to play collegiately next season?
AA: The checklist will feature graduating athletes as well as players returning to college for another year.

KS: How is it different working with players who are still fully in college vs. players who have already declared for the draft?
AA: Players still fully in college gives us more flexibility to put collaborative deals on the table and really build a solid relationship with the players so we can work with them as their college career progresses.

KS: What are some of the highlights of the product overall?
AA: Having Topps back in the football and basketball sphere with Bowman U has been a highlight overall, but beyond some of the exciting insert designs and impressive auto checklist, just being able to provide the 1st Bowman designation for players has been a really exciting piece of these products. In the modern trading card space, prospecting football and basketball can be a bit tough since they don’t have dedicated farm systems like baseball. Prospecting, in my eyes, is a cornerstone of the hobby giving collectors the rush of being able to support a player far before anyone else and being able to watch the player’s career unfold. The hope is of course one day to have a Bowman pipeline of a player’s prospect cards in Bowman U all the way through the end of their professional career and possibly beyond!

Hobby Musings: Topps Back in Football, Bowman U – Image Gallery


Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on collecting in Hobby Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
Kelsey Schroyer

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