CLEVELAND – The International Collegiate Licensing Association (ICLA) announced in January at the ICLA Desert Cactus Winter Symposium, North Carolina State University (NC State) as the winner of this year's ICLA Synergy Award, presented by 4imprint. The three subcategory winners Howard University (Revenue Generation), University of Wyoming (External Collaboration/Impact/Commitment to Licensing), and University of Missouri (Innovation/Vision) were also recognized.

ICLA Synergy Award – North Carolina State University
The ICLA Synergy Award is the ICLA program of the year. The winner, NC State, achieved a tremendous level of success during the 2022-23 academic year. The program is led by Christopher Boyer (Assistant Vice Chancellor, Strategic Brand Management), Gregg Zarnstorff (Director of Trademarks and Brand Protection, Strategic Brand Management), and Sonni Minton (Assistant Director of Trademarks Licensing and Brand Protection).
 
The team at NC State has done particularly unique work collaborating with colleagues across NC State's campus and businesses to increase brand visibility and engagement with the Wolfpack community. Their entrepreneurial spirit and effective communication and brand engagement strategies led to some unique new licensed products that helped expand the visibility for NC State's brand and increase revenue for the university.
  
NC State University's licensing program achieved impressive results in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

• Recorded a second consecutive year of record royalties with a significant increase of 30%
• Moved up three positions in CLC ranking to 28th.
• The strategic brand management included a focus on local and mid-tier apparel and headwear, resulting in notable growth.
• The university implemented an e-commerce strategy, striking a balance between Amazon and Fanatics, and collaborated with licensees specific to the Amazon channel.
• Brand protection efforts involved strengthening relationships with platforms like Amazon, utilizing Counterfind for increased takedowns, addressing infringement cases, and conducting brand training sessions.

 
Campus Collaboration

• Developed a unique program for a branded coffee with a local roaster (321 Coffee) that highlighted the Wolfpack's brand and created a stronger sense of community, because the licensee employs adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Worked with the College of Design on licensed wine labels.
• Collaborated with the Wilson College of Textiles on sustainability tours and New York Fashion Week attendance for students.
• Subsidized university brand refresh and font license, engaged in NIL opportunities with athletics, and revamped royalty revenue distribution to support student scholarships.

External Collaboration

• Implemented a Survey to guide post-COVID licensing strategy.
• Developed LicenseePlus/RetailPlus program.
• Partnered with brands for sustainability tours and events.
• Thought broadly and collaborated with others to support the mission of the university, advance the brand, and as a result drive incremental growth in income.

 
Revenue Generation Subcategory – Howard University
 
In the 2022-2023 academic year, Howard University achieved remarkable growth in its licensing program, recording a 21% increase in licensees, a 51% increase in overall sales, a 40% surge in unit sales, a 7.4% rise in average unit price, and an 11.3% increase in artwork submissions. The university strategically expanded its partnerships, welcoming new collaborators such as Lululemon and FISLL, contributing to the significant year-over-year revenue boost. The highlight of this success was the collaboration with FISLL, a social impact brand led by Allan Houston, for the 2022 Howard University x FISLL Homecoming Student Design Program. This initiative involved four fine arts students in the creation of branded merchandise released during homecoming festivities, not only driving sales but also providing these students with a pivotal role in merchandise design and fostering confidence for future opportunities in the fashion industry. The support of alumni and advocates of HBCUs and black colleges further played a key role in Howard University's impressive 51% increase in sales.
 
External Collaboration/Impact/Commitment to Licensing Subcategory – University of Wyoming
 
The University of Wyoming Trademark Licensing Office (UWTLO) has continued its collaborative efforts with the City of Laramie and Visit Laramie to implement a city-wide UW flag program, enhancing the welcoming atmosphere for new students and visitors in Laramie. Working closely with the Official Athletic Retail Partner, the Brown and Gold Outlet, UWTLO successfully executed projects such as the NIL apparel and jersey program and brought collections like the Josh Allen and Logan Wilson replicas to the store. Collaborations extended to New Era, resulting in the release of a brown and gold Buffalo Bills hat and a co-branded JA17 Wyoming Cowboys collection. This contributed to a substantial increase in sales from $13,890 in 2021 to $97,993 in 2022. UWTLO's innovation included launching a licensed craft beer with Black Tooth Brewing Company, featuring rotating can designs representing the State of Wyoming and the University of Wyoming brands. Noteworthy collaborations with rivals, such as Colorado State University for the Battle for the Bronze Boot, and external partnerships with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and various mountain state destinations, highlight the program's broad impact and success.
 
Innovation/Vision Subcategory – University of Missouri
 
The University of Missouri proudly presents its Student Made Program, a collaborative effort involving the Textile & Apparel Management program (TAM), Champion, Mizzou Licensing, The Mizzou Store, and CLC. The initiative aimed to enhance the educational mission of the university and boost sales of Mizzou College Vault apparel. Students from the TAM textile class engaged in an immersive experience, collaborating with Champion to create a collection of College Vault products using existing design styles and fabric platforms. The program included a Vintage Vote on social media to select College Vault logos, garnering 96,920 impressions and 2,885 votes. The project, lasting six weeks, involved students receiving guidance from Champion's design staff and presenting their collections to a committee. The winning collection was produced by Champion and sold at The Mizzou Store, resulting in $33,466 in wholesale sales, $6,023 in royalties, and a 79% sell-through rate for 1,469 units. Beyond merchandise, the collaboration provided students with valuable educational experience in the collegiate apparel design process, demonstrating the potential of the collegiate licensing industry to support unique learning opportunities.
 
About ICLA: ICLA provides educational and networking opportunities, enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics, and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of collegiate licensing. For more information on ICLA, please visit www.iclanet.com. ICLA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 59th year. For more information on NACDA and the 18 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com