Sales of Ohio State national championship merchandise "boomed yesterday, as manufacturers, retailers and the school’s licensing department took advantage of the Buckeyes’ victory over Oregon to enjoy some windfall cash," according to Tim Feran of the COLUMBUS DISPATCH. Employees at Columbus-based Conrads College Gifts "didn’t even get the shirts out of boxes before fans rushed in and grabbed them." Meanwhile, a salesperson at a local Dick’s Sporting Goods reported that sales "were brisk at midday." Screen Works, a T-shirt printing company that supplies Dick’s Sporting Goods, "produced 17,500 commemorative shirts overnight." OSU Trademark & Licensing Services Dir Rick Van Brimmer said that the school's '02 national title "was a huge boost to the university." He said, "We were doing maybe $2.5 million in licensing royalties, and that championship helped us double the program." Feran notes Van Brimmer "doesn’t expect another doubling" this time, though. Van Brimmer said, "Since then, we’ve had all sorts of changes in how we do the program." He added that while OSU "has a contract for regular season play with Nike, the merchandise with national-championship logos and branding comes under a separate contract." The boost to merchants and the school "will linger for months, and will include not only national-championship-branded merchandise but generic Ohio State products as well" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 1/14). Chris Mason, the owner of the Toledo-based Buckeye Wolverine Shop, said that T-shirts "have been the hottest championship game item, and customers prefer clothes with the final score" (TOLEDO BLADE, 1/14).
FOOTBALL FURNISH: In Dayton, Mark Gokavi reported Dayton-based Morris Furniture Co. will give out close to $1.5M in free furniture to more than 500 customers after running a promo that it would "refund the money customers paid if Ohio State won by 7 points or more." The promo ran Dec. 17-Jan. 1 and was available to "people who bought $1,999 or more" at the company's 15 different locations. Morris Furniture VP/Marketing & Advertising Rob Klaben said that a "third-party company underwrote the promotion and will pay out the money" (DAYTONDAILYNEWS.com, 1/13). ABCNEWS.com's Susanna Kim noted the company "isn't an Ohio State sponsor and says that the promotion isn't affiliated with the university's football team." Klaben said that the promotion "was a major boost to a typically slow period of furniture sales, the week before Christmas" (ABCNEWS.com, 1/13).
