Merchandise, especially T-shirts, commemorating the Univ. of South Carolina women’s basketball team's second straight Final Four appearance is "flying off the shelves 50 percent quicker than last year,” according to Jeff Wilkinson of the Columbia STATE. The team yesterday unveiled a new “SC&3” Final Four T-shirt, which “refers to the Gamecocks and the other three finalists.” Shirts from Under Armour with “I WILL” and “FINAL FOUR” go on sale today, along with "two more Final Four shirts on Friday.” There are “about two dozen Gamecock women’s basketball shirts available and lots of other gear, from decals and stickers to hats and visors.” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley “is involved in the designs” of the shirts. Retailer Jewelry Warehouse Collegiate Buyer Kevin Lucas, whose company owns the Garnet and Black Traditions stores, said that it has “sold about 3,000 items” related to the team (Columbia STATE, 3/31).
SAY WHAT? YAHOO SPORTS’ Jeff Eisenberg reported one of the Univ. of Wisconsin’s “best-selling Final Four-themed shirts no longer is available for purchase.” School officials “had to yank it off the website and social media earlier this week because its compliance department feared the shirt violated NCAA rules.” The "inspiration behind the shirt in question" was the way Wisconsin F Nigel Hayes was “intentionally mixing in hard-to-spell words” during news conferences. Hayes, upon learning the shirt was pulled, “responded with tongue planted firmly in cheek, noting the irony that the shirts had sold out without him receiving one.” He said, “The fact that a shirt is being made and sold and has sold out is pretty egregious. I’m not going to say I deserve any royalties or anything like that. That would be absurd” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/31).
