LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska has joined a handful of other university football teams that are using microchip-equipped game balls to help ensure they can’t be faked or counterfeited in the collectibles market.

Big Game USA, a manufacturer of college game balls, has a deal with Prova Group Inc. to install the chips in balls at Big Game’s football factory in Dallas.

Prova Group said it uses chips, smartphones and cloud technologies to protect fans and consumers from counterfeit goods.

The chips, dubbed gametag, can track the life of a football, record its history and prove authenticity.

Without the technology, collectible footballs must be authenticated through an expensive and time-consuming analysis by experts and third-party opinion.