Travis Scott's "Jack Goes Back to College": A Deep Dive into the Collegiate Merch Phenomenon

Travis Scott, the inexhaustible King of Rage, visited three different schools across the country in 36 hours to promote his new Mitchell & Ness collaboration, "Jack Goes Back to College." The collaboration between the rapper’s Cactus Jack apparel line and Mitchell & Ness (by way of Fanatics) brought collegiate pride and streetwear style together, offering a unique selection of headwear and apparel for students across the nation.

The Whirlwind Tour: USC, LSU, and UT

As exclusive merch designed by Scott went on sale at over a dozen college campuses across the country, Scott and Fanatics founder Michael Rubin showed up at three of the schools participating: Louisiana State University, the University of Texas, and the University of Southern California.

The tour's timing proved better than anyone could have anticipated. Just a day prior to the tour kicking off, the NCAA’s women’s March Madness tournament delivered a banner night for the sport. Face-offs between University of Connecticut and USC and a rematch of last year’s final between LSU and Iowa drew in record-breaking viewership, outdrawing nearly every conceivable major league in American sports over the past year. Angel Reese declared for this year’s WNBA Draft the day the tour started and made an appearance alongside Scott at LSU, while Watkins cemented herself as the future of college basketball.

When asked why he pursued a collaboration with the rapper, Rubin just laughed. “It’s incredibly obvious why we’d want to work with Travis,” he said, nodding to the riled-up crowd.

The Scene at USC: Medieval Siege Tactics and a Maestro of Pandemonium

When Scott arrived at USC on Thursday afternoon, students had been waiting at the barriers outside the campus bookstore since 8 PM the night prior. By the time the author arrived, the student body had surrounded the building in a way that seemed to draw from medieval siege tactics. Scott, Rubin, JuJu Watkins, and USC point guard Isaiah Collier pulled up right in front of the bookstore, where Scott conducted the raucous crowd like a maestro of pandemonium and Watkins was received with equally thunderous enthusiasm.

From the moment Scott entered the bookstore he was in his element, careening through the store, bouncing between students, posing for selfies and videos with aplomb, and scribbling signatures on whatever’s put in front of him; at one point, he gleefully autographed a student’s forehead.

The "Jack Goes Back to College" Collection: A Fusion of Collegiate Pride and Streetwear Style

The "Jack Goes Back to College" collection brings together collegiate pride and streetwear style, offering a unique selection of headwear and apparel for students across the nation. Starting on April 4, the limited-edition apparel collection was made available for purchase via shop.travisscott.com, select Lids locations and campus bookstores operated by Barnes & Noble College at the participating universities, as well as Fanatics.com.

The debut collection, designed and produced by Cactus Jack, features 28 different universities including powerhouses like the University of Michigan, University of Georgia, University of Southern California, and the University of Texas. Each university receives unique, specially designed products, ensuring students can rep their school in true Cactus Jack style.

The diverse assortment includes:

Headwear: Mitchell & Ness snapback hats reimagined with a Cactus Jack twist and university branding.
Clothing: T-shirts, crewnecks, hoodies, shorts, sweatpants, and backpacks, providing a complete head-to-toe look.

The "Jack Goes Back to College" collection offers a range of accessible price points, catering to students and fans alike. Retail prices for these products range between $68 and $160 per Fanatics.

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According to Fanatics, Cactus Jack teamed up with 28 universities to create “unique, specially designed products, ensuring students can rep their school in true Cactus Jack style.”

Travis Scott's Connection to Collegiate Culture

Scott's passion for collegiate culture and athletics runs deep. The rapper attended University of Texas at San Antonio for a year before dropping out and told GQ last year he plans on pursuing a degree in architecture from Harvard University in the future.

“I really admire kids that take this journey right here,” he said, explaining why he wanted to start his collaboration with the brand at the collegiate level. “This generation, they move the needle. I’m not saying they aren’t instilled in other major league sports, but it starts here at the collegiate level.” Scott, for his part, seems as authentically stoked to be there as any of the kids. “I just love the energy on college campuses,” he confessed, “It’s ill. Football games, basketball games, the energy is just super high.”

Scott's Love of Sports

As it turns out, Scott wants to use the oxygen in his lungs to keep talking about sports, immediately circling back to the NCAA tournament. “[Tuesday] was just an amazing day for sports,” he said. “It’s like I woke up and it was fucking Christmas. I’ve been watching [Caitlin Clark] since high school. One of my favorite players.”

He notes that the same night as the esteemed Elite Eight matchups his hometown Houston Astros notched a no-hitter thanks to pitcher Ronel Blanco. Scott’s love of sports started in his hometown following teams like the Astros, the Rockets, the Texans (then the Oilers), and the University of Houston and that pride shines in the effusive tone with which he starts talking about the ‘Stros.

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Surprise Visit to USC Football Practice

Armed with a giant plastic sword and decked out in the collab’s USC swag, he stormed the practice field as his music thumped and the team charged towards him, yelling like an army of Trojan warriors fresh out the horse. Photos were taken and jerseys with CACTUS JACK emblazoned on the back were swapped, then USC head coach Lincoln Riley got his team to take a knee while Scott delivered a speech.

As he concluded, a player chimed in, “And we got JuJu Watkins!” The rest of the team joined in at a volume that would have you believe a second Travis Scott had just stormed the field. The team chanted the young star’s name until she bashfully joined Scott in the center, and soon Scott had pulled on her number 12 jersey over the custom one he’s already wearing.

Student Reactions: Excitement and Concerns

Students shared their reactions to news of the collab between the university and Scott.

Maddie Reinoso, a junior majoring in health and human sciences, said the collab would help bolster USC’s reputation. “We’re a very internationally popular school,” she said. “So I guess it’s reaffirming that our reputation is still getting out there and a reputation still being built, which I think is what we all want.”

Despite the benefit of recognition, Reinoso noted that the collaboration has its negatives. “I think it’s frustrating to see that we’re prioritizing collaborations with artists who don’t go to USC or have no other affiliation when, instead, we could be prioritizing the facilities that are here for the students,” she said.

Other students shared a similar view on collaboration. “I think it’s a cash grab."

Travis Scott: Beyond the Music

Jacques Bermon Webster II, known professionally as Travis Scott, is a rapper and producer from Houston, Texas. His sound and style have made him one of the most popular artists in the music industry today, seeing major success from albums such as 2015's "Rodeo" and 2018's "AstroWorld."

Cactus Jack is the brand and label owned by the rapper. Cactus Jack has teamed up with digital sports platform Fanatics, leading sports retailer Lids and Mitchell & Ness to announce a groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind collegiate-inspired apparel collection.

Fanatics' Perspective

“This is major!” Rubin wrote. “Such a unique collab - fusing our university partnerships with Trav’s incredible vision and Cactus Jack’s high-end signature streetwear to give sports fans something they’ve never seen before."

Since Rubin acquired Fanatics in 2022, the company has made some major moves, including in the NIL landscape. The company formed partnerships with multiple schools, including Alabama and Florida, and launched its jersey program in 2022.

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