KNOXVILLE — Officials will be on the lookout for counterfeit merchandise at Saturday’s football game between the University of Tennessee Volunteers and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.
Michael Young of UT’s Licensing Office said the sale of officially licensed merchandise returns dollars to the university’s general scholarship fund and ensures a high-quality product is available to the public.
“Unlicensed merchandise harms student education at UT, because it prevents dollars from going into scholarship funds,” Young said. “It also detracts from the university’s quality standards and its control over authorized logo usage.”
Police officers from UT and the city of Knoxville will help agents from the Collegiate Licensing Company check merchandise sold this week bearing the Volunteers and Gamecocks logos.
“We’ll visit vendors near Neyland Stadium, Cumberland Avenue, shopping malls and specialty shops, looking for counterfeit merchandise,” Young said.
Consumers should always check sports merchandise for the following characteristics before making a purchase:
— The product should display a tag bearing the Officially Licensed Collegiate Product logo or hologram.
— Logos and marks for Tennessee or South Carolina should depict the schools in a tasteful manner.
— Garments should have an intact tag. If the garment tag is damaged or missing, the item may be counterfeit and of lower quality.
— The manufacturer’s name should appear on the product as a label, a hangtag, or directly printed on the product.
— Appropriate trademark designations such as TM or ® should appear next to the item’s name or design.
Atlanta-based CLC, the oldest and largest licensing representative in the nation, includes as members more than 200 colleges, universities, bowl games, athletic conferences, The Heisman trophy, and the NCAA.