Campus Ink's Mobile DTF Printing Fuels Hot Merchandise at Big Ten Tournament and March Madness

Veteran college sports apparel company leverages Roland DG technology to create customized fan gear on-site and on-demand

Apr. 1, 2026 at 10:35pm

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Steven Farag, CEO of Campus Ink and NIL Store, has built a successful business around creating and selling custom T-shirts and accessories on-site and on-demand using a specialized Roland DG direct-to-film (DTF) digital printer. Farag and his team have towed their mobile printing trailer to major college basketball tournaments like the Big Ten Tournament and March Madness, where they set up shop and produce customized apparel - sometimes designing the shirts on the spot as customers watch.

Why it matters

Farag's ability to quickly respond to trending moments and customize apparel in real-time has made Campus Ink/NIL Store a valuable partner for retailers at these high-profile sporting events. By having a mobile DTF printing setup, they can hedge inventory risk for concession stands and provide fans with limited-edition merchandise they can't find anywhere else.

The details

For both the Big Ten and March Madness tournaments, Farag has relied on his company's "mobile" direct-to-film capabilities. He and his crew have towed their specialized trailer carrying a Roland DG TY-300 direct-to-film printer and necessary supplies to tournament sites, where they set up shop and begin producing customized apparel. They can sometimes create the designs for the T-shirts and accessories on the spot as the customers watch. To protect the sensitive DTF printer components during transport, they built an air ride shock system in the trailer and installed baseboard heating to maintain the proper temperature and humidity.

  • During the Big Ten Tournament, the Campus Ink/NIL Store trailer was fully stocked and on call for retailers to quickly produce requested customized apparel.
  • For the last game of the Big Ten Tournament, Campus Ink created a limited-edition shirt featuring the top players from Michigan and Purdue, which was approved and available the next morning.

The players

Steven Farag

CEO of Campus Ink and NIL Store, a veteran of the college sports apparel scene who has arranged licensing deals with over 160 colleges and 30,000 individual athletes.

Yaxel Lendeborg

A Michigan basketball player who made an impressive three-pointer during the Big Ten Tournament, inspiring Campus Ink to quickly create a custom "Triple Yaxel" t-shirt.

Mark Cuban

A billionaire entrepreneur, investor, and television personality who has provided funding to Campus Ink's NIL Store arm.

Roland DG

A worldwide leader in wide-format inkjet printers, including the TY-300 direct-to-film printer used by Campus Ink for their mobile apparel customization.

Campus Ink/NIL Store

A company that provides on-demand apparel customization and personalization services, leveraging a mobile direct-to-film printing setup to quickly respond to trending moments at major college basketball tournaments.

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What they’re saying

“Merchandise is now becoming an experience, and how something's made is just part of that experience. You're seeing on-demand customization and personalization popping up at events more and more – we're taking it a step further by being able to design on the fly and show customers how it's made.”

— Steven Farag, CEO, Campus Ink and NIL Store

“During one of the games, an announcer made a comment after Michigan player Yaxel Lendeborg made an awesome three-pointer – he called it a 'Triple Yaxel.' We put that on a shirt, and it was available in the United Center the next morning. So, that's kind of how we do it – we're able to be hyper-reactive to whatever the moment is in sports.”

— Steven Farag, CEO, Campus Ink and NIL Store

“Over the course of March Madness, we've supported a total of 87 teams on the men's and women's side. With 15 or 16 players per team, that's over 1,300 players…and we've been able to print a design on the fly for each of them. That's pretty incredible when you think about it.”

— Steven Farag, CEO, Campus Ink and NIL Store

What’s next

Farag and his team are expecting a repeat performance of their successful on-site apparel customization during the upcoming Final Four games in Indianapolis.

The takeaway

Campus Ink's mobile direct-to-film printing setup has allowed them to quickly respond to trending moments and provide fans with limited-edition merchandise they can't find anywhere else, making them a valuable partner for retailers at high-profile college basketball tournaments.