The PGA Tour Gets To Go To College Class With Perry Ellis International
August 10, 2010: The PGA Tour has signed a deal with Perry Ellis International to launch a line of collegiate apparel nationwide. The merchandise will carry the logos of colleges and universities around the country and will be available in more than 500 locations.
The line will launch for the back-to-school 2010 season. Financial terms were not disclosed. The alliance between the PGA Tour and Perry Ellis began in 2004.
As part of the deal and to support marketing, golfers from the PGA Tour will wear the logos and colors of their alma maters during tournament play. Four pro golfers will participate in the initial launch: Woody Austin (University of Miami, class of ’86), Justin Bolli (University of Georgia, class of ’99), Hunter Haas (University of Oklahoma, class of ’00) and Omar Uresti (University of Texas, class of ’91).
The line will be available at department stores, sporting goods destinations, college book store fan shops and via the Internet and catalogs. The line will include performance knit polos for 13 top schools. Products for the holiday season will also include fleece, wind wear, jackets and long sleeve performance knits. Expansion plans include an additional 50 schools.
The deal was handled through a licensing agreement with The Collegiate Licensing Co., a division of IMG Worldwide, working with the PGA Tour.
“CLC is the nation’s leading collegiate trademark licensing company, currently representing more than 200 colleges, universities, bowl games and athletic conferences in the U.S.," Oscar Feldenkreis, president and COO for Perry Ellis International, said in a statement. "We are extremely excited about this partnership and look forward to expanding with the PGA Tour into a niche market of unbelievable potential."
According to Scott Bouyack, vp-apparel marketing for CLC, “There has always been a strong connection between golf consumers and the college fan base. We believe this partnership with PEI will be successful in further extending that connection through innovative retail product, as well as the visibility the products and the collegiate brands will receive from collegiate alumni on the PGA Tour that participate in the marketing program.”