The Collegiate Licensing Company : Retailer FAQs

Retailer FAQs

What are CLC's hours of operation?

Which institutions, universities, bowls, conferences, and events does CLC currently represent?

Does CLC provide any marketing resources or services to its licensees or retailers?

We are a retailer that also has in-house production capabilities. Do we need to be licensed to produce collegiate products?

We believe we may know of unlicensed, bootleg, infringing, illegal product activity. Who should we contact to report this potential problem?

We are a collegiate retailer and would like to obtain a list of licensed vendors. How do we obtain a list of licensed vendors?

We are a retailer and are interested in buying NCAA, bowl, or conference product. Where can we obtain a list of manufacturers that are licensed for these properties?

We are a collegiate retailer and are having trouble locating licensed suppliers with low minimum requirements. Can CLC help us?

We are a collegiate retailer and are interested in displaying signage with collegiate logos within our collegiate assortment. Do we need to obtain institution approval prior to displaying the signage?

We are a retailer interested in buying collegiate product. Can you refer us to collegiate licensees/manufacturers that can meet our product needs?

We are a collegiate retailer and are interested in running a collegiate retail promotion. Who should we contact at CLC?

We are a retailer interested in carrying collegiate products. Do we need to obtain a license in order to offer collegiate product?

In an effort to embellish our product, develop a press story, or develop a retail promotion we are interested in obtaining institution/mascot/nickname historical information. Where can we go to obtain historical information for institutions?

We were informed that an institution may be making changes to its logos or graphic identity in the near future. Where can we go to get the latest information regarding institution logo changes?

We are a retailer that currently carries or is interested in carrying collegiate products. Are there any CLC staff assigned to supporting retailers?

What are CLC's hours of operation?

CLC's hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. E.S.T. Some CLC staff members are located in satellite offices in Arizona, California, Kansas, Montana, Ohio, and Oregon maintaining the same office hours within their own respective time zones.

What is CLC?

The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) is a division of global sports and entertainment company IMG. Founded in 1981, CLC is the oldest and largest collegiate licensing agency in the U.S. and represents nearly 200 colleges, universities, bowl games, athletic conferences, the Heisman Trophy and the NCAA. Its mission is to be the guiding force in collegiate trademark licensing and one of the top sports licensing firms in the country. Headquartered in Atlanta, CLC provides full-service capabilities in brand protection, brand management and brand development.

Which institutions, universities, bowls, conferences, and events does CLC currently represent?

To view an up-to-date list of CLC-represented institutions, please visit www.clc.com and click on the "Clients" section.

Does CLC provide any marketing resources or services to its licensees or retailers?

CLC's Marketing Department is focused on supporting the efforts of collegiate licensees interested in maximizing and growing sales. CLC's Retail Marketing Division is responsible for developing relationships with key retailers throughout the country. CLC's role is to facilitate communication between institutions, retailers, and licensees in order to maximize and grow the collegiate market, while also providing resources to retailers that implement collegiate promotional sales efforts.

To facilitate communication, CLC maintains a presence at all major collegiate trade shows, including CAMEX, The Sports Licensing and Tailgate Show, MAGIC, both the Atlanta and Dallas Giftmarts, and many others. CLC also hosts regular licensee and retailer meetings at both its Atlanta headquarters and at key collegiate licensee and retailer headquarters throughout the country. To support licensees and retailers, CLC provides promotion development and implementation services, signage, industry and product category trend and research analysis, and other forms of support.

CLC owns and operates The Collegiate Exchange (TCE), which was launched in 2001 specifically to assist collegiate retailers in finding collegiate product information and in locating suppliers. TCE, which is a virtual buyer's guide, is free for retailers and provides access to thousands of collegiate products from 150 participating manufacturers. TCE is a proven successful promotional platform for collegiate licensees. For pricing and other information regarding TCE, please visit www.thecollegiateexchange.com, send an email to tce@clc.com or call 770-956-0520 and ask to speak to a Retail Marketing staff member.

All licensees and particularly those with unique products or distribution are encouraged to communicate regularly with their CLC Account Coordinator about their collegiate product development and sales efforts. CLC encourages licensees to visit CLC's Headquarters to demonstrate their products and to discuss distribution and sales plans. CLC is committed to maximizing long-term collegiate product sales and understands that licensees and retailers are critical and inextricable parts of the collegiate sales growth equation.

Retailers interested in an initial commitment to the collegiate market or in expanding their existing collegiate offerings and are interested in partnering with CLC or the institutions to maximize collegiate product sales should contact Retail Marketing Department at retail@clc.com or 770-956-0520.

We are a retailer that also has in-house production capabilities. Do we need to be licensed to produce collegiate products?

Retailers that also screen or embroider their own products, alter or repackage an existing collegiate product, or source the products from a directly related company that is not licensed must obtain a collegiate license. CLC recommends that retailers consider sourcing products from existing licensees prior to seeking a license for in-house production. Please visit the Licensing Info > Application Process section of clc.com to learn more about the license application process.

Where is CLC located?

Company Headquarters- Atlanta, GA
All administrative and official correspondence should be sent to CLC's Company Headquarters, unless otherwise indicated by CLC staff. The address is:

The Collegiate Licensing Company
290 Interstate North Circle, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30339

The phone number is 770-956-0520 and the fax is 770-955-4491. Emails may be sent directly to CLC staff for a variety of inquiries as noted on the Contact Us link under the About CLC section of CLC.com.

West Coast Office- San Francisco, CA
You may correspond or communicate with the West Coast Office when working specifically with CLC staff working in this office. West Coast Office functions are limited to marketing.

The Collegiate Licensing Company
685 Market Street - Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94105

Phone: 415-227-8014

Although headquartered in Atlanta with a regional office in San Francisco, CLC also has representatives located in Arizona, California, Kansas, Montana, Ohio, and Oregon.

We believe we may know of unlicensed, bootleg, infringing, illegal product activity. Who should we contact to report this potential problem?

We appreciate your willingness to make us aware of a potential infringement problem. If a product does not readily display the Officially Licensed Collegiate Product hologram label it may be infringing/unlicensed product. If there is more than one of the suspicious items (i.e., on a rack of shirts for example), please check the other items to ensure that they do not display the hologram as well. If a hologram is present on the product, but you believe the quality/taste of the product is still questionable, it would also be helpful if you could write down the hologram number and include that in your infringement report to CLC. If you are aware of the company name that is used on the product, this information will be helpful to our efforts to determine a source. We will need to know the location of the product and a full description of it in addition to the names of the institutions that are being used (please ensure that CLC represents the institutions highlighted on the product- see CLC institution list within the "Clients" section of this site). The product description should include product type, color, and a description of the design.

Signs that a product may be unlicensed/infringing include:

1) Poor quality
2) Design in bad taste (includes vulgar language/imagery, etc.)
3) Design includes tobacco, illegal substance, or alcohol imagery
4) Neck tag is cut in half
5) No Officially Licensed Collegiate Product hangtag or sticker
6) No company name on the product, excluding the manufacturer of the blank product

If you are a consumer or retailer and believe you have found infringing product, please report the infringement within the "Resources" section of www.clc.com (select the "Report Infringers" link). CLC client institutions and licensees should access MyiCLC and access the "Resources > Report Infringers" section. A form will prompt you for all the necessary information. This reporting method is anonymous unless you choose otherwise.

We are a collegiate retailer and would like to obtain a list of licensed vendors. How do we obtain a list of licensed vendors?

CLC manages a website called The Collegiate Exchange (TCE), which was built specifically to assist collegiate retailers in finding collegiate product information and in locating suppliers. TCE, which is a virtual online tradeshow, is free for retailers and provides access to thousands of collegiate products through 150 participating manufacturers. CLC's master list of licensed collegiate manufacturers can also be accessed within TCE. For collegiate manufacturer and product information, please visit www.thecollegiateexchange.com to register.

We are a retailer and are interested in buying NCAA, bowl, or conference product. Where can we obtain a list of manufacturers that are licensed for these properties?

The NCAA licensee list is available on both The Collegiate Exchange (TCE) and the NCAA's website. The Conference licensee lists are available on TCE by logging in and choosing "Other Resources" from the top menu, then scrolling down the page and choosing the particular conference you are interested in viewing. Bowl, football national champion, and NCAA national champion (in addition to the year-round NCAA licensees) licensee lists change daily when they are in season. We recommend contacting a member of the NCAA & Bowl Properties staff for an updated list at 770.956.0520.

We are a collegiate retailer and are having trouble locating licensed suppliers with low minimum requirements. Can CLC help us?

CLC owns and operates The Collegiate Exchange (TCE), which was launched in 2001 specifically to assist collegiate retailers in finding collegiate product information and in locating suppliers, many of which have very low minimum requirements. TCE, which is a virtual online tradeshow, is free for retailers and provides access to thousands of collegiate products from 150 participating manufacturers. To participate in TCE at no cost, please visit www.thecollegiateexchange.com to register.

If you are not able to locate low minimum providers via TCE, please call 770.956.0520 and ask for a member of CLC's Retail Marketing Division. We will be glad to research low minimum options for the product/institution you are interested in carrying.

We are a collegiate retailer and are interested in displaying signage with collegiate logos within our collegiate assortment. Do we need to obtain institution approval prior to displaying the signage?

The vast majority of institutions do not require retailers to obtain approval for in-store signage as long as the signage is used to call attention to their licensed collegiate product and the signage is generic in nature, does not include third-party associations (a soft drink manufacturer for example), and it is not being used to support a promotional program. CLC and the institutions appreciate retail efforts to maximize collegiate product sales.

We are a retailer interested in buying collegiate product. Can you refer us to collegiate licensees/manufacturers that can meet our product needs?

We are a collegiate retailer and are interested in running a collegiate retail promotion. Who should we contact at CLC?

We are a retailer interested in carrying collegiate products. Do we need to obtain a license in order to offer collegiate product?

If your company only sells finished products and does not produce, alter, repackage, or finish collegiate products in any way, you are not required to have a license. Retailers should ensure that the collegiate products they purchase are produced by licensed vendors as discerning consumers will not purchase products that appear counterfeit or unlicensed.

Retailers that also screen or embroider their own products or source the products from an associated company must obtain a collegiate license. CLC recommends that retailers consider sourcing products from existing licensees prior to seeking a license for in-house production.

CLC manages a website called The Collegiate Exchange (TCE), which was built specifically to assist collegiate retailers in finding licensed collegiate product information and in locating suppliers. TCE, which is a virtual online tradeshow, is free for retailers and provides access to thousands of licensed collegiate products through 150 participating manufacturers. CLC's master list of licensed collegiate manufacturers can also be accessed within TCE. For collegiate manufacturer and product information, please visit www.thecollegiateexchange.com to register.

In an effort to embellish our product, develop a press story, or develop a retail promotion we are interested in obtaining institution/mascot/nickname historical information. Where can we go to obtain historical information for institutions?

CLC houses some very basic historical information within the "Institutions" section of www.clc.com. Other good sources of historical and institution information include institution .edu and athletic websites, a book entitled "Nickname Mania- The Best of College Nicknames and Mascots and the Stories Behind Them" by Mark T. Jenkins (available on Amazon.com and other major book dealer sites), and a helmet history website located at http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project. All Athletics Departments have a Sports Information Division that may also be able to help you in your search for historical information.

We were informed that an institution may be making changes to its logos or graphic identity in the near future. Where can we go to get the latest information regarding institution logo changes?

The vast majority of institutions work very closely with CLC when they introduce new logos into the marketplace. In many cases, CLC through the Logos on Demand (LOD) service from J. Patton, makes the new logos available immediately upon the institution's unveiling. In some cases, there is a delay between the official campus unveiling and the availability of the new logos via CLC and/or Logos on Demand. CLC and J. Patton's role is to make production-ready artwork available to manufacturers at the time specified by the institutions. CLC makes licensees, retailers, and media aware of the availability of new logos in a variety of ways.

Licensees: CLC will post new logo and color introduction information from institutions within the "News" section of MyiCLC. We recommend that licensees check this section on a regular basis. Licensees that do not use MyiCLC should reference the "News" sections of www.clc.com on a regular basis for new logo introduction information.

Retailers: CLC will post new logo introductions within the "News" sections of www.clc.com. New logo introductions are also announced via The Collegiate Exchange (TCE), which is a free online website dedicated to collegiate retailers. Visit TCE at http://www.thecollegiateexchange.com.

Media: Members of the media may search for the latest new logo/identity introductions within the "News" section of www.clc.com.

We are a retailer that currently carries or is interested in carrying collegiate products. Are there any CLC staff assigned to supporting retailers?

Yes. Marketing is one of CLC's largest departments. It is divided into six divisions including:

Marketing Operations
NCAA & Bowl Properties (includes athletic conferences)
Apparel
Non-Apparel
Promotional Licensing
Retail Marketing

CLC's Marketing Department is focused on supporting the efforts of collegiate licensees interested in maximizing and growing sales. CLC's Retail Marketing Division is responsible for developing relationships with key retailers throughout the country. CLC's role is to facilitate communication between institutions, retailers, and licensees in order to maximize and grow the collegiate market, while also providing resources to retailers that implement collegiate promotional sales efforts.

To facilitate communication, CLC maintains a pervasive presence at all major collegiate tradeshows, including CAMEX, The Sports Licensing and Tailgate Show, MAGIC, both the Atlanta and Dallas Giftmarts, and many others. CLC also hosts regular licensee and retailer meetings at both its Atlanta headquarters and at key collegiate licensee and retailer headquarters throughout the country. To support licensees and retailers, CLC provides promotion development and implementation services, signage, industry and product category trend and research analysis, and other forms of support.

CLC owns and operates The Collegiate Exchange (TCE), which was launched in 2001 specifically to assist collegiate retailers in finding collegiate product information and in locating suppliers. TCE, which is a virtual online tradeshow, is free for retailers and provides access to thousands of collegiate products from 150 participating manufacturers. TCE is a proven successful promotional platform for collegiate licensees. For pricing and other information regarding TCE, please contact our Retail Marketing staff at tce@clc.com or call 770-956-0520.

All licensees and particularly those with unique product, customer service, distribution, and/or a willingness to make a significant investment in the collegiate market, are encouraged to communicate regularly with their CLC Account Coordinator about their collegiate product development and sales efforts. CLC encourages licensees to visit CLC's Headquarters to demonstrate their products and to discuss distribution and sales plans. CLC is wholly committed to maximizing all collegiate product sales and understands that licensees and retailers are critical and inextricable parts of the collegiate sales growth equation.

Retailers interested in an initial commitment to the collegiate market or in expanding their existing collegiate offerings or are interested in partnering with CLC or the institutions to maximize collegiate product sales should contact CLC's Retail Marketing Staff via email at retail@clc.com by calling 770-956-0520.

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