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By KAREN ROBINSON-JACOBS
Staff Writer
Silver Star Merchandising Ltd., an Irving-based company launched last year by the family of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones , has signed a 10-year-agreement to be the exclusive maker and distributor of off-field T-shirts, hats and other athletic-themed apparel for the University of Southern California.
Jerry Jones Jr., son of the team owner and president of Silver Star Merchandising, called the new deal a “partnership” with the Trojans’ home base, and one that he said is unprecedented in the lucrative world of college-themed apparel.
“This really is revolutionizing the approach that the university is taking toward their apparel,” Jones said Thursday of the deal — the first major sports accord for the company.
“They get complete control of their brand. Just as we have put in place and perfected a model that we do for Cowboys merchandising, we are taking that marketing, and that expertise and initiative and … implementing it” at USC in Los Angeles.
He said colleges such as USC can have “hundreds” of merchandisers. This approach “is allowing them to … have control over that brand and protect the integrity and the image of that brand.”
Jones declined to release financial details of the contract. He said Silver Star Merchandising is in talks with other schools including Ohio State about similar deals. He declined to give details on the status of those talks.
Nike is currently USC’s sole partner for the “on-field wear” sported by athletes, said Jose Eskenazi, associate athletic director. But it has “several dozen” apparel licensees for the T-shirts, polo shirts and fleece-lined jackets worn by fans.
“Now we’re consolidating under two brands, Silver Star and Nike,” he said.
The deal offers the school “wider distribution,” and greater access to mass merchandisers such as Target and mid-tier stores such as Kohl’s, Eskenazi said.
Also, “what they do for the Cowboys brand was evident,” he said, speaking of both the reach and the quality control associated with Cowboys-themed products.
“That was the model that we saw as something we wanted to pursue.”
Silver Star will pay USC royalties for the items sold. He estimated that total sales of USC-themed merchandise is “well over $20 million.”
He did not have specific figures for USC sports-themed apparel. But he said over the course of the new deal, “we hope we can double,” the amount of apparel sold.
Staff Writer
Silver Star Merchandising Ltd., an Irving-based company launched last year by the family of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones , has signed a 10-year-agreement to be the exclusive maker and distributor of off-field T-shirts, hats and other athletic-themed apparel for the University of Southern California.
Jerry Jones Jr., son of the team owner and president of Silver Star Merchandising, called the new deal a “partnership” with the Trojans’ home base, and one that he said is unprecedented in the lucrative world of college-themed apparel.
“This really is revolutionizing the approach that the university is taking toward their apparel,” Jones said Thursday of the deal — the first major sports accord for the company.
“They get complete control of their brand. Just as we have put in place and perfected a model that we do for Cowboys merchandising, we are taking that marketing, and that expertise and initiative and … implementing it” at USC in Los Angeles.
He said colleges such as USC can have “hundreds” of merchandisers. This approach “is allowing them to … have control over that brand and protect the integrity and the image of that brand.”
Jones declined to release financial details of the contract. He said Silver Star Merchandising is in talks with other schools including Ohio State about similar deals. He declined to give details on the status of those talks.
Nike is currently USC’s sole partner for the “on-field wear” sported by athletes, said Jose Eskenazi, associate athletic director. But it has “several dozen” apparel licensees for the T-shirts, polo shirts and fleece-lined jackets worn by fans.
“Now we’re consolidating under two brands, Silver Star and Nike,” he said.
The deal offers the school “wider distribution,” and greater access to mass merchandisers such as Target and mid-tier stores such as Kohl’s, Eskenazi said.
Also, “what they do for the Cowboys brand was evident,” he said, speaking of both the reach and the quality control associated with Cowboys-themed products.
“That was the model that we saw as something we wanted to pursue.”
Silver Star will pay USC royalties for the items sold. He estimated that total sales of USC-themed merchandise is “well over $20 million.”
He did not have specific figures for USC sports-themed apparel. But he said over the course of the new deal, “we hope we can double,” the amount of apparel sold.
