The Stag-positive campaign has touched nearly every aspect of school spirit at Fairfield. Now, FUSA President Hutch Williams ’08 has moved on to retail.
Williams is planning to sell Fairfield varsity men’s basketball jerseys at the bookstore as early as next fall.
“We’re a Division I school and we need to start acting like it,” he said. “I think this is a step in the right direction. Nothing gets me more fired up than [when] a rival has something that we don’t that I know we can have and something that I know our students deserve.”
Fans from other MAAC schools sport such jerseys. Students at Siena College can purchase jerseys for $35 each.
Williams said he has already spoken with Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs James Fitzpatrick, who oversees the bookstore. Fitzpatrick said the demand for jerseys has never existed in the past.
“It all depends on a winning atmosphere,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’m convinced that Coach Cooley and his team are about to make that happen.”
Assistant Athletic Director Roy Brown, who oversees marketing, promotion and fan development, said he has received between 50 and 100 phone calls this year from people interested in purchasing a jersey.
“Typically my response is, ‘No, we currently do not sell jerseys out of our bookstore,’ but with the increased demand, that could be an apparel or merchandise item that the bookstore will consider for next season,” Brown said.
General Merchandise Manager Barbara Askew said that the bookstore has sold jerseys twice before, both times in the beginning of 2000 and for a period of one year only.
Askew said one batch was designed to meet a “temporary demand” while the other was actually leftover from an order the bookstore placed for the Fairfield dance team.
Many students said they would support the addition of basketball jerseys in the bookstore as part of the broader effort to increase school spirit.
“[Who] wouldn’t want to buy the jerseys and support the team,” said Michael Bona ’10, who wanted a basketball jersey since “day one.”
Brad Gorson ’10 agreed that selling jerseys would enhance athletic school spirit.
“You have to remember, not all students come from athletic-powerhouse high schools, so all they need is a little encouragement and excitement, because most students would love to embrace their college athletic team,” said Gorson.
Although students love Fairfield apparel, a basketball jersey is considered better by some.
“A Fairfield t-shirt’s nice, but a jersey just has a little more to it,” said Jared Elliot ’09.
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