COLUMBUS, Ohio — There is only one team College Traditions and its owner Kelly Dawes cheer for.
What You Need To Know
- College sports merchandising is one of the elements in the sports ecosystem that will be impacted with no fall football
- College Traditions on W. Lane Ave. in Columbus is a locally-owned sports memorabilia store that’s been in business since 1984
- Owner Kelly Dawes worried how the lack of football foot traffic will impact her business
“So, one of my biggest thing is to make it like a kid experiencing Disney World, you know, from the minute you get out of your car you’re hearing the buckeye music playing, the fight song,” said Dawes.
But the Ohio State spirit doesn’t stop outside. When you walk in the door, you’ll be able to find anything a Buckeyes fan would ever want, and then some. But, with games on hold for now, Dawes is concerned.
“Football season is when we peak. Home football weekends are our biggest time that we do business,” Dawes said. “It’s usually shoulder to shoulder in here on game day.”
Matt Cacciato is the executive director of Ohio University’s AECOM Center for Sports Administration. He warned that merchandising is a key industry that will be affected by a disruption in the college sports ecosystem.
“Merchandise licensing is huge in college athletics. The number of things that are not going to be bought in book stores and online is going to be a loss revenue stream,” said Cacciato.
Especially because Dawes had to do all of her fall ordering almost 10 months ago, long before COVID-19 became a household term.
Dawes said she’s been asked if she can sell her merchandise next year.
“Yeah, we can still sell it next year, but I have to pay for it this year,” she said.
There’s also the lack of fans traveling from out of state for games.
“A lot of our customers come from out of town and when you read some of the reviews we get, I would say probably 50-60 percent say this is their first stop when they come into Columbus,” Dawes said.
And Dawes said, even if the season did go on without spectators, she could still generate even a little revenue.
“But what I was hoping, even a delayed fall season, is there still would be parties, people would still be getting together,” Dawes said. “They’ll want a new Buckeye outfit or they’ll need party supplies.”
The Big Ten announced during the past week it will not revisit its decision to postpone the season, and now Dawes and her business are banking on the spring.
“I think when Ohio State is going to play football, the Buckeye fans are going to come out regardless,” she said.
