INDIANAPOLIS and ATLANTA (April 1, 2026) — As the teams continue their quest for a national title in this year’s NCAA® Men’s and Women’s Division I Basketball Championships, the NCAA and its exclusive trademark licensing partner, CLC, warn fans that counterfeiters may try to take advantage of the excitement surrounding the games to sell unlicensed merchandise. 

CLC, a division of college sports leader Learfield, will work closely with undercover agents and local officials in Indianapolis, the site of this year’s NCAA Men’s Final Four®, and Phoenix, the site of this year’s NCAA Women’s Final Four®, to patrol the areas around the game venues and fan events in search of counterfeit merchandise and any other unauthorized use of trademarks owned by the NCAA and the participating schools. Any individuals found to be selling counterfeit goods will be asked to surrender the infringing merchandise to enforcement officials.

It is important that fans make sure they are only purchasing officially licensed merchandise authorized by the NCAA and the participating schools. With counterfeiters increasingly targeting fans through social media and digital marketplaces, CLC’s enforcement staff will also be working to address online counterfeit issues as they arise. 

“By protecting the brands of the NCAA and participating institutions, we are also helping to ensure that fans and consumers can add to their great experience at the games through their purchase of high quality, authentic merchandise,” said Cory Moss, president of brand management and marketing for Learfield/CLC. “Counterfeiters often look to capitalize on fan excitement by selling what may be incorrect and inferior merchandise, so we encourage fans to purchase licensed merchandise that can be a lasting memento of the NCAA basketball tournament.”

When purchasing NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship merchandise, fans should look for the following identifiers to ensure the merchandise they purchase is officially licensed:

• All merchandise should bear the name of the authorized licensee on the product, either in the form of a hangtag, a neck label or screen-printing directly on the garment. 
• All officially licensed merchandise should display the NCAA “Officially Licensed Product” hologram somewhere on the product or hangtag.
• The merchandise should depict the NCAA and participating universities’ marks in a tasteful manner, consistent with the designs and school depictions approved by the NCAA and participating schools. 
• 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 NCAA and the participating schools. 

There are more than 45 companies currently licensed to produce merchandise bearing NCAA marks. Royalties generated from the sale of officially licensed championship products are returned to the NCAA and participating schools to support scholarships and other vital programs and initiatives.

About the NCAA

The National Collegiate Athletic Association provides a world-class athletics and academic experience that fosters lifelong well-being for more than 520,000 student-athletes annually. The NCAA stages 92 championships across three divisions, and its 1,100 member schools provide nearly $4 billion in athletics scholarships every year.  Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola as official corporate champions and the following elite companies as official corporate partners: Buffalo Wild Wings, Geico, Great Clips, The Home Depot, Intuit TurboTax, Invesco, LG, Marriott Bonvoy, Pizza Hut, Reese’s, Ritz, Samsung, Unilever and Wendy’s.

About CLC

CLC is the nation’s leading collegiate trademark licensing company with a mission to elevate college brands through insight and innovation. The company is uniquely positioned to deliver consumer connections and brand visibility for institutions through data-based, customized solutions that include impactful licensed merchandise strategies and innovative marketing platforms to navigate the ever-evolving consumer and retail marketplace. Headquartered in Atlanta, CLC is guided by values to serve others, build trust, lead well, innovate often and be passionate. Founded in 1981, CLC is a part of Learfield, the leading media and technology services company in intercollegiate athletics.

Media Contacts:

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