A NCAA Tournament T-shirt will easily run you into double figures, but Carolina fans haven't wasted any time buying the latest wave of memorabilia celebrating their team's advance to the Final Four.
And while sales of licensed products with the Carolina name and logo raise spirits around town, they also raise money for students on campus.
That's because 75% of the royalties the school receives on the items go toward what are actually called "trademark scholarships." This year, 1,100 students received more than $2 million dollars from the royalty funds.
"Any scholarship opportunities are great for students here," says student Amy Shey. "Especially because athletics are so much a part of student life here, and that it goes back to the campus and the school efforts."
Carolina expects the trademark scholarship fund could top $3 million dollars next year.
Auxiliary Services Director Rutledge Tufts says winning the ACC is going to have a dramatic effect, but then going to the Final Four and beyond will cause an even larger effect on royalties for the university
The remaining 25% of Carolina's royalty money gets plowed back into UNC's athletic program.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
