NEW ORLEANS and ATLANTA (December 28, 2023) – As the Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl prepares to host the Washington Huskies and the Texas Longhorns, CLC is taking the necessary measures to address potential counterfeit and unlicensed merchandise in the New Orleans area in order to protect visitors and fans.

CLC, the exclusive trademark licensing agency for the College Football Playoff (CFP), the Allstate Sugar Bowl and both Washington and Texas will work closely with investigators and local officials to patrol the area around the Caesars Superdome and the local marketplace in search of counterfeiters selling “knock-off” merchandise. All counterfeit merchandise is subject to surrender per state and federal laws.

As counterfeiters look to capitalize on the excitement around the Playoff Semifinal, fans should follow these tips when shopping at events or online to ensure they are buying officially licensed College Football Playoff and Allstate Sugar Bowl merchandise:

• All officially licensed merchandise should display the “Officially Licensed Collegiate Product” or “Extra Yard for Teachers” hologram somewhere on the product or hangtag. All merchandise should have the appropriate trademark designations (i.e., TM, â) next to a specific name or design. 

• The merchandise should depict the logos and trademarks of the Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the College Football Playoff, and participating universities in a tasteful manner. 

• The tag on the garment should be intact. A torn or missing tag is evidence of a second-hand garment, one that probably would not meet the stringent quality standards put in place by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the College Football Playoff, and participating universities.
• All merchandise should bear the name of the manufacturer somewhere on the product, either in the form of a hangtag, a neck label or screen-printed directly on the garment.

Royalties generated from the sale of College Football Playoff merchandise help fund the CFP Foundation’s community engagement initiative, Extra Yard for Teachers. Extra Yard for Teachers is dedicated to honoring and supporting educators nationally and in the communities that host the College Football Playoff National Championship.

About the Allstate Sugar Bowl®

The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 102 Hall of Fame players, 52 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 89-year history. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting nearly $2.4 billion into the local economy in the last decade.

About the College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 ranked team vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential. This season’s Playoff Semifinals will take place Monday, January 1, 2024, at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and Allstate Sugar Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 8, 2024, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

For media inquiries, contact:

Tammy Purves, CLC, tammy.purves@clc.com, 770-799-3275