ATLANTA, Ga. (January 17, 2025) – With this year’s College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship playing host to the Miami Hurricanes and the Indiana Hoosiers, CLC, the nation’s leading collegiate trademark licensing agency, is working with CFP officials to protect visitors and fans from purchasing potential counterfeit and unlicensed merchandise.

CLC, the exclusive licensing agent for the CFP, is coordinating with investigators to patrol the areas around Hard Rock Stadium and CFP events in Miami in search of counterfeiters selling “knock-off” merchandise.

“We are committed to delivering an exceptional experience for the participating teams and their fans,” said Rich Clark, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff. “A part of that experience is offering high-quality, officially licensed merchandise that serves as a meaningful memento of the game and our CFP fan events. Leveraging CLC’s enforcement network is integral to safeguarding our fans from counterfeit goods and ensuring the integrity of our events for all to enjoy.”

Enforcement efforts surrounding the CFP began during each of the first-round campus games and continued through last week’s Playoff Semifinal games.

“With this year’s CFP generating significant excitement and elevated interest even before the teams were selected, CLC remains dedicated to deterring potential counterfeiters aiming to exploit the enthusiasm of passionate Hurricane and Hoosier fans,” said Dave Kirkpatrick, SVP of Business Development for CLC. “Our goal is to protect fans from purchasing unlicensed, counterfeit merchandise that is often of inferior quality, which limits the life of a product meant to serve as a longtime memory of a team’s success. Our enforcement efforts also serve to protect the brands of the College Football Playoff and the participating institutions, as well as the officially licensed manufacturers that are authorized to sell approved merchandise.”

There are 54 companies officially licensed to produce approved merchandise bearing the marks of the College Football Playoff. Fans are encouraged to purchase only officially licensed CFP merchandise to ensure higher-quality products to serve as souvenirs of their national championship experience.

Consumer tips for purchasing officially licensed College Football Playoff merchandise:

• All officially licensed merchandise should display the “Officially Licensed Collegiate Product” or the CFP Foundation’s “Extra Yard for Teachers” hologram somewhere on the product or hangtag.

• The merchandise should depict the logos and trademarks of the College Football Playoff and participating teams in a tasteful manner.

• The tag on the garment should be intact. A torn or missing tag is evidence of a garment of inferior quality, one that likely would not meet the stringent quality standards put in place by the College Football Playoff and participating teams. 

• 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.

• All merchandise should have the appropriate trademark designations (i.e., TM, â) next to a specific name or design.

Fans are encouraged to follow the above guidelines when shopping for merchandise online as well, since many counterfeiters target fans via social media and other online outlets.

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 CFP National Championship through the direct provision of resources, professional development and training, teacher recognition and the support of a college-going culture. Extra Yard for Teachers has generated more than $80 million in support of education across its collective partners since its inception in 2014.

Media Contacts:

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