Leading up to the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship between the Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide, the CFP, Irving, Texas, in conjunction with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), Atlanta, and university officials are taking measures to clear the local market of counterfeit and unlicensed merchandise attempting to be sold at the game and related events.
CLC, the exclusive licensing partner of the CFP, Clemson and Alabama, will work with various law-enforcement officials to control the merchandise being sold surrounding the national championship, which will be played tonight at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
As the retail market for collegiate-licensed product is estimated at $4.6 billion annually, there is incentive for counterfeiters to capitalize on fan excitement.
“Our ultimate goal is to protect the brand and integrity of the College Football Playoff and its consumers,” says Cary Moss, SVP and managing director, CLC. “By teaming with law-enforcement officials, we have the ability to cover a large jurisdiction and deter potential counterfeiters, while ensuring consumers are not lured into purchasing inferior, unlicensed product.”
During the 2014-15 CFP, more than 2,500 counterfeit items were seized with a retail value of more than $70,000, according to the CLC.
For more information, visit collegefootballplayoff.com. — J.B.