By Staff
Athletic Management, 18.4, June/July 2006, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/am/am1804/wurally.htm
It may have been warm enough for a T-shirt in The Pavillion at Villanova University this basketball season, but many fans were wearing winter scarves. Why? Because the neck-warmers were Rally Scarves, Villanova’s newest addition to apparel sales.
In school colors of navy and white, the scarves boast a two-sided design, with the words “Nova Nation” on one side and “Let’s Go Nova” on the other. Most fans wear them around their necks, but some also wave them like a flag to rally the team.
The idea for the scarves came from undergrads at the school. “It started out as a class project in the entrepreneurship program,” says Josh Roda, a student entrepreneur heading up the project. “We were looking for a unique piece of fan gear to produce and sell. One of my team members spent last summer in Rome, where soccer fans wear scarves like these, and we thought the college fan market would respond to the idea.”
Six classmates involved in the entrepreneurship project worked with the Villanova athletic department and the Collegiate Licensing Company (Villanova’s licensing agent) to create the scarves, which have become a success with both students and alumni.
Mike Maerten, Director of Administrative Services and Licensing at Villanova, believes sales will continue to grow. “I think there’s been enough of a buzz created that people will stay connected with the scarves,” he says. “And like professional team jerseys, it’s a product that can be tweaked periodically, so it can be a mainstay here for a long time.”
To learn more about the scarves, visit: www.rallyscarf.com.