ATLANTA, Ga (May 15, 2025) – CLC, the nation’s leading collegiate licensing company, announced the 2025 recipients of its annual Collegiate Licensing and IMPACT awards. The awards, which were presented at CLC’s recent Collegiate Licensing Seminar in Atlanta to a crowd of more than 475 collegiate licensing professionals and industry leaders, recognized outstanding efforts in collegiate product development and merchandise marketing, campus collaboration, and new initiatives that positively impact college brands in the marketplace.

In total, 25 universities, licensees, and retailers were recognized for their collegiate licensing programs.

The university awards honored 19 CLC partner institutions that excelled over the past year in executing strategic brand management initiatives that leveraged data and campus collaboration to maximize return, as well as brand marketing and retail programs that connected with consumers and engaged others in brand building through collegiate licensing. The Collegiate Licensing awards were given in the following categories: Best Use of Insights and Data, Most Creative Marketing Program, Most Effective Campaign, Best Product Partnership or Collaboration, Best Experiential Retail Program, and Best Campus Integration. Additionally, awards were given for Best Retailer Marketing Program and the U of NYFW Partner of the Year award for university commitment and participation in CLC’s U of NYFW student enrichment program at New York Fashion Week.

“Our annual awards give us the opportunity to recognize those institutions that go above and beyond in elevating college brands, both on their respective campuses and in the retail marketplace,” said Cory Z. Moss, President of Brand Management and Marketing, Learfield/CLC. “Our CLC team routinely collaborates with our partner institutions to develop innovative licensed product and marketing strategies to connect to their fans, but the most successful programs are those where schools and licensing directors work hand-in-hand with our team to support the activations. We are excited to recognize those outstanding efforts.”

CLC’s IMPACT Award honored select licensees and retailers that made exceptional contributions over the past year to grow sales and exposure of collegiate licensed merchandise. The recipients of this award not only generated increased revenue for CLC partner institutions but also launched or supported CLC marketing programs and other industry initiatives. CLC IMMPACT Awards were presented to ’47 Brand in the apparel product category, EA SPORTS the non-apparel product category, Original Retro Brand in the NCAA and Bowl Properties category, and Rally House in the retailer category.

Moss added, “We work with the best licensees and retailers across the brand licensing industry and appreciate all they do to help us connect with consumers and grow the collegiate licensed product business. Our IMPACT award winners often set the standard for others in their category to follow, and we are pleased to recognize those that are leaders in the market.”

This year, CLC also presented the Sherri Dye Industry IMPACT Award to Paul Vander Tuig, licensing director at the University of Kansas. Named for former Florida State University licensing director and industry leader Sherri Dye who lost her battle with cancer in 2016, the award recognizes long-term service to the collegiate licensing industry and lifetime achievement through mentorship and impactful licensing program management. Paul has served as the licensing director for Kansas for more than three decades. During his tenure, he has worked to deliver numerous innovative licensed products and marketing programs to Jayhawk fans. He has also mentored many other licensing directors across the college landscape.

“Paul Vander Tuig was one the first licensing directors I met when I joined CLC over thirty years ago, and he taught me a lot about the licensing business,” said Moss. “He has continued to lead by example during his career and impacted many in the collegiate licensing industry, making him deserving of the Industry IMPACT Award.”

A complete list of CLC Award winners follows:

• Best Use of Insights and Data – awarded to a university licensing program that effectively used data/insights to direct strategy for a marketing program, retail channel expansion, new products, CR strategy, and others to better position its brand for growth. Winners were:
  • Texas A&M University
  • University of Connecticut
  • Ball State University

• Most Creative Marketing Program – awarded to a partner institution for a marketing program with a theme or activation that leverages a unique angle or product. Winners were:
  • LSU
  • University of Washington
  • Northern Arizona University

• Most Effective Campaign – awarded to a partner institution based on established KPIs, including ROI or achieving defined goals that may include increasing brand awareness, visibility, sales, or other measurable results. Winners were:
  • The University of Texas – Austin
  • West Virginia University
  • University of Delaware

• Best Product Partnership or Collaboration – awarded to a partner institution that incorporates a unique collaboration with a licensee, retailer, or other brand. The winners were:
  • The University of Tennessee – Knoxville
  • Virginia Tech
  • Howard University

• Best Experiential Retail Program – awarded to a partner institution that enhances the customer experience through specially designed retail experiences such as pop-up shops or dedicated space in bookstores, etc. The winners were:
  • LSU
  • The U.S. Military Academy
  • The U.S. Naval Academy
  • New York University

• Best Campus Integration – recognizes successful efforts by licensing departments to engage with other departments on campus in initiatives to elevate the university’s brand through licensed merchandise programs. The winners were:
  • Iowa State University
  • Miami University
  • University of Idaho

• Best Retailer Marketing Program – awarded to a retailer that goes above and beyond on executing a dedicated college marketing campaign — in-store or digital and national or a local campaign. The winner was:
  • Amazon

• U of NYFW Partner of the Year (tie) – awarded to a school for their investment and creativity to gain student engagement for the U of NYFW program, as well as emphasizing their institution’s involvement in the program on and off campus through communications, media and/or integration into larger educational initiatives. The winner was:
  • University of Arizona

• Apparel IMPACT Award – recognizes an apparel licensee that is making a positive impact on elevating college brands in the marketplace through increased sales and marketing. The winner was:
  • ’47 Brand

• Non-Apparel IMPACT Award – recognizes non-apparel licensee that is making a positive impact on elevating college brands in the marketplace through increased sales and marketing. The winner was:
  • EA SPORTS

• NCAA/Bowl Properties IMPACT Award – recognizes a NCAA and/or bowl licensees that is making a positive impact for our partner institutions during time sensitive hot markets. The winner was:
  • Original Retro Brand

• Retail IMPACT Award – recognizes a retailer that is making a positive impact on elevating college brands in the marketplace through increased sales and marketing. The winner was:
  • Rally House

• Sherri Dye Industry IMPACT Award – honors an individual that exhibits lifetime achievement in the collegiate licensing through tenacity, innovation, and commitment to industry-leading programs and practices. The winner is:
  • Paul Vander Tuig, University of Kansas.

Media Contacts:

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