UCAFANS.COM | GO UCA BEARS!

I've griped about this before, but I think it's worth repeating.
My daughter and son-in-law are in town this weekend. We were walking around Wal-Mart this evening and noticed that they are carrying replica Hog jerseys, as well as Sooner jerseys. They also have a separate little area of the store, near the checkouts, totally devoted to the Cardinal & White- everything from hats to shirts to whatever.
So I would like to ask the folks at Wal-Mart- with 2 supercenters in Conway, as well as God-knows-how-many in that surrounding area, would it kill them to offer at least a portion of UCA Bears gear in at least one of those stores, something besides a couple of T-shirts? I don't think it's asking a great deal, but good grief, if you have something that the people want, and you know it would sell, why not offer it? I thought that was the whole point of commerce- supply and demand. The market is there. Why not capitalize?
Rocket scientists!

This is bigger than just what's carried at Walmart. If you look at the official NCAA shopping site, http://www.ncaa.com/shop, UCA isn't even listed. Heck, there are DII schools with merchandise available, but not UCA. I haven't been to the bookstore recently, but when I have been, they didn't carry a replica jersey, other than a kid's style.

While I agree that it would be great if Walmart had a bigger UCA offering, in their defense, they can't sell what's not available.

Does anyone know UCA's athletic merchandise licensing policies? Could that be the challenge?

The university owns the licensing rights to all goods sold with UCA logos, etc. The retailer has to pay a fee to the school to have the right to sell the merchandise. Undoubtably, Wal-Fart does not feel it is profitable to do so even though several thousand Bear fans spend millions of dollars at their stores statewide in a year's time.

That brings up this question in my mind - is there no one on the UCA campus whose job it is to try and sell and/or market the UCA name to local, area, and state wide retailors? Also, why not any affilliation with the NCAA market as mentioned above? If so, said person doesn't seem to be doing a very good job, imo.

I would think that it should be the job of the Director of Athletics Marketing, Matt Jordan. He is new, but I don't know why the previous person, Mrs. Cooley, I believe, didn't/couldn't get anything done about it. Who knows?!

In no one's defense Josh but there is probably more merchandise sold that is not athletically connected than is if you think about it. So whose lap does that responsibility fall in? Sounds like a good question to be asked at a BearBacker meeting.

ACE Hardware is starting to carry more UCA stuff and I try to get what I can there. Their prices seem considerably cheaper than the Bookstore on campus.

Just to add...

Licensing is not an issue. The rules as UCA has them set, as of this time last year, are that the license is for manufacture. If you are a retailer and purchase from licensed manufacturers (there is a list available online or from the athletic department) there is no additional cost to the retailer.

I would like to apologize, the wife and I tried to get it together. The economy and a few mistakes on my part have taken their toll. When we are in a better position Bear-Country will reopen. We still own the website and keep the appropriate permits and taxes paid.

I hope someone makes it work...
it will be a shame if we open in a couple years (I am restarting school @ UCA in the fall and will be unable to work full time for 2-3 years) and there is still no competition to speak of.

GO BEARS!!!
Cannot wait for some football!!! I will be proud to rejoin the student section.

So this past semester, the UCA Wind Ensemble took a trip to Springdale to recruit for the band program. We stopped at the mall (not sure of the name but it was big) and there was a store with UCA license plates and clothing...

They even had a UCA/OK State "House United" license plate.......which we thought was awesome seeing as how Mr. Steven Smyth graduated from OK State and is now the director of athletic bands here.

I don't see why Wal-Mart wouldn't sell UCA stuff especially when they have it up there in Hog-land, unless it's a cost issue or the bookstore has some deal worked out to where they can't.

Just FYI, My wife said she saw some UCA stuff in Target (I think) this weekend.
I don't know how much they have or if it's anything worth buying, but she saw something...

Back about 2004-2006 both Conway Wal-Marts carried an aisle of UCA merchandise that was not available elsewhere (ie, designs not at bookstore). I have no idea how that worked for the stores but I think it was after Terri J cajoled them into it. Not sure if this was pursued after she left or if WMT just did not want to renew.

WMT stocks what sells (and they know to the nats eyebrow every day)and they have vendors literally standing in line for shelf space. Our marketing people have to work it all the time to stay on the shelf if is not a top seller.

Are we represented by Collegiate Marketing or do we do our own? It takes some degree of knowhow as well as persistence to successfully market your licensed gear. This position should pay for itself.