Correction appended
Associated Students UCLA officials have often jokingly hoped for
UCLA to have winning sports teams in order to boost revenues.
They may have gotten what they wished for ““ officials say
the football team’s success this season has generated an
increase in merchandise sales.
Though many factors account for renewed interest in BearWear,
the UCLA football team’s winning streak, including its
seventh straight victory this Saturday against Oregon State, is
responsible for a large portion of the increase in sales, said
ASUCLA Chief Financial Officer Rich Delia.
BearWear items are the UCLA-branded clothing and accessories
sold in the UCLA Store.
“The athletic performance has had a major impact on sales.
In terms of our BearWear, it’s up $225,000 more than what we
budgeted for the first two months of the fiscal year,” Delia
said.
$1.4 million in sales of BearWear was budgeted for the first two
months of the fiscal year, but ASUCLA has received about $1.6
million after the football team’s success.
ASUCLA Executive Director Bob Williams said the largest jump in
sales for ASUCLA occurred in 1995 when UCLA’s basketball team
won the NCAA championship. During that year, sales skyrocketed, and
demand exceeded supply.
“We couldn’t get the sweatshirts out of the boxes
fast enough. People were grabbing them out of our hands,”
Williams said.
But it may be too early in the season to expect a massive
increase in sales on par with the 1995 numbers.
“Sales are up, but the base amount that we do in sales is
very large, and this is only an incremental bump,” Williams
said. “Though our sales are up some, it’s not
double.”
Despite the increase in net sales, other operating costs are
projected to cause ASUCLA to record a net loss of $371,000 for the
2005-2006 fiscal year, Delia said.
While UCLA’s football team has not been as successful in
the past, Delia said he remains hopeful for their continued winning
streak.
“I have no idea of how well we’re going to do. If
they go 10 and 0, beat ‘SC, and become national champions,
that would be fantastic. If they continue to win, sales will be
fantastic,” Delia said.
Williams said that a repeat of the 1995 NCAA Championships would
be difficult but enthralling.
Delia said that some of the increased revenue also came from
other programs such as Back to the Beach and other sales ASUCLA put
on to generate student interest.
While the football team has been climbing in national rankings,
helping to increase profits for ASUCLA, the additional funds go
toward creating more resources for students, Delia said.
And, while he was cautious about being overly optimistic,
Williams welcomed the energy the football team brings to UCLA and
its students.
“It’s great to see excitement on campus with
students energized and rooting for the team,” he said.
The increased enthusiasm of students and fans alike is evident
in the atmosphere at the Rose Bowl as well as in UCLA Store
sales.
“People are so excited. The entire stadium goes
crazy,” said Alice Cheung, a marching band member and
third-year psychology student.