By David Hamrick
The University of Louisville has many sports traditions dating back to the days of Johnny Unitas and Coach Peck Hickman, but it looks like a student-driven marketing venture that started last year is already on its way to becoming a tradition at sports events.
On Aug. 24, a handful of students unveiled the second installment of the RedShirt in the Business School Atrium. The RedShirt, dubbed “the official game day shirt of Louisville athletics,” can be seen flooding the student section at football and basketball games; however, the shirt is intended to be worn at all U of L sports events, said Matt Thompson, vice president of the RedShirt Company.
The RedShirt is a special T-shirt that is revamped annually and was created, marketed and sold by a student-formed company within the university. The RedShirt Company is headed by a five-student leadership team overseeing sales and marketing, finance and inventory, distribution, electronic communications and customized sales.
“We’ve had to do everything from learning about the trademark process to paying taxes to trying to generate interest in the RedShirt, all processes that you need to know in business,” said Virginia Jones, a senior marketing major and leader of sales and marketing for the RedShirt Co.
With the unveiling of this year’s model, the company (the first student-run business at U of L) hopes to target as many students as possible and make them part of the new tradition.
The theme of this year’s shirt is “The New Tradition,” signifying not only the T-shirt’s popularity among students, but also the upward trend in Louisville athletics. The first RedShirt was unveiled at the 2004 spring football game by members of the football team, cheerleaders and selected students.
While the front of the 2005-2006 shirt is nearly identical to that of last year’s model, there is a new personalization option for each student or organization. The “LOUISVILLE” that is printed on the collar can be replaced with any name for a small fee and by filling out an order form located at Gray’s Bookstore.
And the back has gone through a complete overhaul. Last year’s shirt sported only a Cardinal head logo, but the new shirt uses an explosion of color to set it apart. The slogan on the back reads: “Most Birds Fly South, This Bird Flies East!”, acknowledging Louisville’s move to the Big East conference.
During the unveiling ceremony last Wednesday, Thompson brought forward athletes from men’s golf, women’s field hockey and men’s baseball to persuade students to get involved with non-revenue sports. Thompson, speaking for the rest of the company’s executive board, said they are excited and pleased with the new design, and that they hope it helps fans get involved with Cardinal athletics.
“It’s been great working with the university, athletics, the community and others on this project.” Jones said. “It’s great to get U of L fans excited about their sports teams and show pride in their school.”
For more information on the RedShirt, visit http://www.louisvilleredshirt.com or stop by Gray’s Bookstore to get an order form. Regular shirts are priced at $15 each. Customized shirt costs $17.
