The factory was notified, the designs were approved. All the
Associated Students of UCLA needed was a men’s basketball
victory Monday.
But with UCLA’s loss to Florida, the T-shirts that would
have said UCLA was the 2006 NCAA men’s basketball champion
did not get the chance to be pressed.
But even with the loss, officials from ASUCLA said the
organization is enjoying an increase in sales as a result of the
team’s performance this year.
On the heels of the basketball team’s 12-game winning
streak, sales of UCLA gear have been “robust” on the
Internet in the last week, said Patrick Healey, the director of
general merchandise for the UCLA Store.
ASUCLA Executive Director Bob Williams said all the preparatory
work for the sale of championship clothing and accessories had been
planned prior to the championship game, but no products were
produced prior to the game outcome.
Because the title of national champion is held for a year,
ASUCLA would have had the opportunity to reorder championship
apparel and other products up until next year’s tournament,
based on the demand for such products throughout the year, Healey
said.
Williams said sales of UCLA products would have definitely
increased significantly with a championship win, but he added that
sales this year have been very good for ASUCLA, regardless of the
tournament.
In 1995, after UCLA won its 11th national men’s basketball
title in Seattle, a frenzy of buying erupted in the UCLA Store,
where people were buying T-shirts so quickly there was no chance
for store employees to get them to the shelves.
Healey said the Internet aided the recent increase in sales, as
it allowed customers to see and purchase BearWear and other
products online, an option not available after the 1995 win.
Back then, ASUCLA only had a phone order system for customers
unable to come to the store.
Several factors go into the popularity of UCLA, including
scholarly and academic honors, but Williams and other ASUCLA
officials said sports were also a major contributing factor to
UCLA’s appeal.
“Athletic performance has a significant impact on the
sales of licensed products,” said Cynthia Holmes, director of
UCLA Trademarks and Licensing.
But even with UCLA’s increased popularity as a result of
the team’s tournament performance, and even if they had won
the championship, Holmes said she does not expect there to be any
new licensees for ASUCLA.
ASUCLA only considers approving licensee applications when the
prospective company will offer new or innovative products and
solutions. If licensees offer nothing unique, such as the use of a
new fabric, original use of the UCLA logo, or improved channels of
distribution, ASUCLA tends not to bring those licensees on board,
she said.
Holmes added that ASUCLA will receive royalties from companies
who, due to UCLA’s Final Four appearance, use the UCLA logo
in conjunction with other university or NCAA logos. These are
managed through temporary licenses for non-UCLA licensees.
The current stock of Final Four T-shirts will continue to be
sold in the UCLA Store, but no additional inventory will be
ordered, Holmes said.
Although ASUCLA didn’t pre-print championship shirts, one
fan tried to capitalize on the fervor, though sales were grim.
Andrew Ahlering, a 26-year-old alumnus from the class of 2002,
stood on Bruin Walk on Monday trying to sell 70 homemade T-shirts
imprinted with the slogan “12 in ’06″ for $10
each, several hours before the game even started.
Though many students may have been optimistic about the game,
all Ahlering received were curious looks, as no one purchased his
shirts. Still, he defended his design, saying the number
“12” didn’t necessarily refer to national
championships; it also could allude to the team’s win streak,
he said.
“It never says 12 (national championship) wins. It just
says “˜12 in ’06,’ which is factually
correct,” he said. “So absolutely, I’m not
jumping the gun.”
With reports from Charles Proctor, Bruin senior
staff.