Collegiate Licensing Company and NCAA Partner to Protect Trademarks at the 2017 Men's and Women's Final Four

March 30, 2017

As teams prepare for the upcoming NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four games this weekend, the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), the licensing affiliate of IMG College, in close coordination with the NCAA, is making preparations to clear the marketplace of potential counterfeit and unlicensed merchandise.

CLC, the exclusive trademark licensing agent for the NCAA, Gonzaga University, The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and the University of South Carolina for the Men’s Final Four, and Stanford University, University of Connecticut and the University of South Carolina for the Women’s Final Four will work closely with Phoenix and Dallas officials and local law enforcement, private investigators, and Homeland Security Investigations, to patrol the areas in search of counterfeit merchandise and any other unauthorized use of trademarks owned by the NCAA and the participating institutions. All counterfeit merchandise is subject to seizure.

It is estimated that retail sales of licensed merchandise during the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will exceed $10 million. Royalties generated from the sale of “Officially Licensed Collegiate Products” are returned to the NCAA and its participating institutions to support scholarships and other vital programs and initiatives.

“Safeguarding the brands of the NCAA and our partner institutions is of utmost priority for CLC, as it helps ensure fans that they are buying approved, high-quality merchandise that directly benefits the NCAA participating universities,” said Cory Moss, CLC’s senior vice president and managing director. “CLC’s network of law enforcement officials in the Phoenix and Dallas areas will comprehensively cover the venue and event areas, stop counterfeiters, and protect consumers from being sold inferior counterfeit products.”

“The NCAA strives to deliver the best experience possible to the thousands of fans that will travel to Phoenix and Dallas to celebrate the NCAA Final Four weekend, and part of that experience is the assurance that souvenirs and tournament merchandise are authentic and approved,” said Keith Martin, NCAA managing director of championships and alliances. “We work with CLC and host-city law enforcement teams at our championships to protect our brand and provide a safe and fan-friendly environment for all those who come to support their favorite teams and NCAA student-athletes.”

When purchasing NCAA Final Four merchandise, consumers should look for the following identifiers to ensure that the merchandise they purchase is officially licensed:

• All officially licensed merchandise should display the NCAA “Officially Licensed Product” hologram somewhere on the product or hangtag.

• The merchandise should depict the NCAA and participating universities’ marks in a tasteful manner, consistent with the designs and school depictions approved by the NCAA and participating institutions.

• The tag on the garment should be intact. A torn or missing tag is evidence of a second-hand garment, one that probably would not meet the stringent quality standards put in place by the NCAA and the participating institutions.

• All merchandise should bear the name of the authorized licensee on the product, either in the form of a hangtag, a neck label, or screen-printed directly on the garment.

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola as official corporate champions and the following elite companies as official corporate partners: Allstate, Amazon Echo, Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Enterprise, Infiniti, Intel, LG, Lowe’s, Marriott International, Nabisco, Northwestern Mutual, Pizza Hut, Reese’s, Unilever and Wendy’s.

NCAA and Final Four are registered trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, events, media and fashion, operating in more than 25 countries. The company represents and manages some of the world’s greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is one of the largest independent producers and distributors of sports media. IMG also specializes in sports training; league development; and marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions. In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME, a leading global entertainment agency.

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For more information, contact

Mike Scanlan, IMG, (386) 843-0188 or Mike.Scanlan@img.com

Carey Bald, CLC, (352) 274-4058 or cbald@clc.com

Gail Dent, NCAA, (317) 917-6117 or gdent@ncaa.org