CLC’s Annual Collegiate Licensing Awards Recognize Efforts to Elevate College Brands

May 22, 2024

Universities, Licensees, and Retailers Honored for Achievement in Program Marketing and Collegiate Licensing Industry Growth

CLC Licensing, the nation’s leading collegiate licensing company, announced the 2024 recipients of its annual Collegiate Licensing IMPACT awards. The awards, which were presented at Collegiate Licensing Company’s annual Collegiate Licensing Seminar in Indianapolis to a crowd of more than 400 collegiate licensing professionals and industry leaders, recognized outstanding efforts in collegiate licensing product development and merchandise marketing, campus collaboration, and new initiatives that positively impact the college brands in the marketplace.

In total, 16 universities, licensees, and retailers were recognized for their collegiate licensing programs.

The university awards honored 12 CLC Licensing partner institutions that excelled over the past year in executing national and school-specific marketing programs that connected with consumers and engaged others in brand building through collegiate licensing. The university awards were given in three overarching categories: National Campaign Marketer of the Year, Institution Marketing Program of the Year, Campus Integration Award. Additionally, awards were given for innovative participation and executions with Collegiate Licensing Company’s College Vault vintage merchandise program and CLC’s U of NYFW student enrichment program at New York Fashion Week.

“Our annual awards give us the opportunity to recognize those institutions that go above and beyond in elevating college brands, both on their respective campuses and in the retail marketplace,” said Cory Z. Moss, President of Brand Management and Marketing, Learfield/CLC. “Our CLC team collaborates with our partner institutions to develop innovative licensed product and marketing strategies to connect to their fans, but the most successful programs are those where schools and licensing directors dig in and support the activations, and we are excited to recognize these outstanding efforts.”

CLC Licensing IMPACT Award also honored licensees and retailers that made exceptional contributions over the past year to grow sales of collegiate licensed merchandise. The recipients of this award not only generated increased revenue for Collegiate Licensing Company partner institutions but also supported CLC marketing programs and other industry initiatives. Awards were presented to lululemon in the apparel product category, YouTheFan in the non-apparel product category, Blue84 in the NCAA and Bowl Properties category, and Dick’s Sporting Goods in the retailer category.

Moss added, “We work with the best licensees and retailers across any brand licensing industry and appreciate all they do to help us connect with consumers and grow the collegiate licensed product business. Our IMPACT award winners often set the standard for others in their category to follow, and we are pleased to recognize those that are leaders in the market.”

This year, Collegiate Licensing Company also presented the Sherri Dye Industry IMPACT Award to Debbie Gay, licensing director at the University of Florida. Named for former Florida State University licensing director and industry leader Sherri Dye who lost her battle with cancer in 2016, the award recognizes long-term service to the collegiate licensing industry and lifetime achievement through mentorship and impactful licensing program management. Debbie Gay has served the Florida Gators for more than 40 years, delivering innumerable unique programs to the university fanbase and leaving a mark on licensees, retailers, and her university peers.

“Debbie Gay has impacted so many people in the collegiate licensing industry through her innovative programs and sharing of her experience, including me, as she was one of my first clients when I started at CLC three decades ago,” said Moss. “I can’t think of a more deserving person for this Industry IMPACT Award.”

A complete list of Collegiate Licensing Company Award winners follows:

• National Campaign Marketers of the Year – highlights institutions that exhibited a strong commitment to activating on one or more of CLC Licensing’s national marketing platforms such as College Colors Day Tailgate, or Holiday campaigns. Winners were:

  • Virginia Tech

  • University of Maryland

  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte

• Institution Marketing Programs of the Year – honors school-specific marketing programs that leveraged campus events or innovative new promotions. Winners were:

  • University of Michigan

  • University of Memphis

  • Georgia Southern University

• Campus Integration Awards – recognizes successful efforts by licensing departments to engage other campus departments in initiatives to elevate the university’s brand through licensed merchandise programs. Winners were:

  • University of Oklahoma

  • Miami University

  • Old Dominion University

• College Vault Partner of the Year – recognizes a partner who went above and beyond in growing their College Vault vintage-inspired merchandise program. The winner is:

  • University of South Carolina

• U of NYFW Partner of the Year (tie) – recognizes institutions that have been committed to offering this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to their students and often have creative ways to integrate their experience or learnings into their academic enrichment. Winners were:

  • Michigan State University

  • Liberty University

• Apparel IMPACT Award – recognizes licensees that make a positive impact on elevating college brands in the marketplace. The winner was:

  • Lululemon

• Non-Apparel IMPACT Award – recognizes licensees that make a positive impact on elevating college brands in the marketplace. The winner was:

  • YouTheFan

• NCAA/Bowl Properties IMPACT Award – recognizes licensees that have made a positive impact for our partner institutions during our time sensitive hot markets through their NCAA & Bowl Properties licenses. The winner was:

  • Blue84

• Retail IMPACT Award – recognizes retailers that make a positive impact on elevating college brands in the marketplace. The winner was:

  • Dick’s Sporting Goods

• Sherri Dye Industry IMPACT Award – honors individuals that exhibit the lifetime achieve in collegiate licensing through tenacity, innovation, and commitment to industry-leading programs and practices. The winner is:

  • Debbie Gay, University of Florida