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Ohio State Limits Football Jersey Sales To Two Numbers; UNC Likely To Follow Suit

Ohio State Univ. football jerseys this year will be "available in only two numbers for purchase," and future years are "likely to be just as limited," according to Tim Feran of the COLUMBUS DISPATCH. OSU told Nike to "produce jerseys and shirts only with the numbers 15 and 1 this year." But RB and "Heisman hopeful Ezekiel Elliott" is wearing No. 15, while the No. 1, after a switch, is "being worn by former Heisman candidate" QB Braxton Miller. OSU said that the numbers do not represent the players, as the 15 "represents the year," while the No. 1 is "the number that goes with the ranking of national champions." But the explanation "didn’t impress" Dublin-based WD Partners Exec VP/Brand, Strategy & Design Lee Peterson. He said, "Two numbers? No. 1 and No. 15? Are you kidding? You could make up some BS for just about any number. From a retail side, that’s a disaster. If I’m one of those Buckeye stores, I’m freaking out. You’ve just cut my sales.” OSU Trademark & Licensing Services Dir Rick Van Brimmer said that the school "told retailers that those were the only two numbers that would be available." Feran notes future numbering "will likely follow the same restrictive pattern, although all numbers will be available through the custom program that offers a number and a customer’s name." But customers at OSU merchandise store College Traditions "hardly seemed to notice the numbers game recently, shrugging off questions about the shirts." Instead, the focus was on new “Week Zero” training shoes, a "fast-selling item featuring the Buckeyes logo." Store Owner Kelly Dawes said it "was crazy" on the first day the shoes were available. The shoes "sold so quickly that Dawes limited sales to six pairs per customer" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 8/21). 

HARK THE SOUND: In North Carolina, Cole Del Charo of UNC student newspaper the DAILY TAR HEEL noted the school this year "featured the numbers 1 and 15 on billboards and in jersey modeling, but UNC Student Stores and Franklin Street shops still sell jerseys with popular athletes’ numbers printed on them." However, UNC Associate Vice Chancellor/Campus Enterprises Brad Ives said that that "may change next year." Ives: "Nike selects jersey numbers, and they do that in the first quarter of each calendar (year) for both football and basketball, so we’re already locked in for what those numbers are going to be. We’ll have a different policy in place for next year.” UNC Senior Associate AD/External Communications Rick Steinbacher said, "We are currently discussing with (the office of trademarks and licensing) what our policies and procedures will be moving forward. We’ve talked about it for a number of years.” Steinbacher said that he "does not know whether generic numbers would change jersey sales," but he believed that jerseys "would continue to sell well because of the school’s athletic tradition." Del Charco noted basketball jerseys "currently being sold online in Student Stores include jersey Nos. 2 and 5, while a No. 3 football jersey is also available." The jerseys "correspond with the numbers" of Gs Joel Berry II and Marcus Paige, and WR Ryan Switzer (DAILYTARHEEL.com, 8/17).

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