The NCAA News - News and Features

January 26, 1998

Gear For Sports named championships concessionaire

Gear For Sports has been selected as the NCAA's championship events concessionaire.

The company has exclusive merchandising rights at all NCAA National Collegiate championship events.

The NCAA administers 81 national championship events in 22 sports at nearly 600 different sites for its member institutions. Gear For Sports will be responsible for providing merchandise at each of those championship events.

"This is an excellent opportunity for the NCAA to provide premium service and quality products to collegiate sports fans at all of the NCAA championships," said C. Dennis Cryder, group executive director for marketing, licensing and promotions. "We are very excited about the new opportunities and resources that will be available through our partnership with Gear For Sports."

Gear For Sports has approximately 800 employees and annual sales of more than $200 million.

For the past six years, the National Association of Collegiate Bookstores has voted Gear For Sports vendor of the year. Gear For Sports is also the official concessionaire for the Big 12 Conference.

"We are ecstatic about our relationship with the NCAA and feel that Gear For Sports is uniquely qualified to maximize and enhance the sale of NCAA merchandise," said John Menghini, president of Gear For Sports.

"We believe that our new paradigm for the event business will be better for collegiate fans, for the on-site vendors and for the NCAA."