DBGI Outlines Expansion Plan for the Estimated $36 Billion NIL College Apparel Market with Yea Alabama Partnership as Foothold

Austin, Texas, Oct. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digital Brands Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:DBGI) (the “Company” or “Digital Brands”), today announces the launch of its strategic initiative to aggressively expand the Company’s presence in the Name, Image, and Likeness (“NIL”) college apparel sector, a segment currently part of the global licensed sports merchandise market, which was estimated at $36.4 billion in 2024, and projected to increase to $49.0 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research

Expansion Strategy & Competitive Positioning

DBGI’s launchpad into the NIL-college apparel space is its newly signed exclusive three-year private label manufacturing agreement with Yea Alabama, the official NIL program of the University of Alabama. Under this agreement, DBGI will exclusively design, manufacture, and distribute collegiate apparel under private label through University of Alabama bookstores and Yea Alabama’s online storefront (https://store.yea-alabama.com/collections/avo).

The initial product line, as well as the September product capsule, is available now at both the bookstore and (https://store.yea-alabama.com/collections/avo). The Company is planning to release new capsule collections will in October, November and December 2025.

“We believe that we have created the Warby Parker of collegiate apparel, with a focus on a direct-to-consumer (DTC), data-driven scalable model,” said Hil Davis, CEO of Digital Brands Group.

Next Phase

The Company is in discussions to expand this strategy with additional universities by building on the model set forth under the Alabama agreement. Each partnership will mirror the Yea Alabama structure, offering university right holders:

1. Private Label Manufacturing Advantage — DBGI designs, produces, and delivers high quality collegiate apparel directly through university-affiliated channels at a lower price than traditional offerings.

2. Equity Alignment — Like Yea Alabama, each university right holders becomes a partner with DBGI, creating a unique alignment of interests and providing upside participation that competitors cannot offer.

3. Supports female student athletes — DBGI is committed to generate future NIL market driven opportunities for female student athletes, which is one of the first NIL initiatives directed specifically to female student-athletes.

4. Agility and Consumer Data — By leveraging a nimble supply chain and direct customer data, DBGI can deliver faster, more trend-responsive collections compared to incumbent providers.