College Football to Fete 150 Years with IMG

IMG will oversee all licensing for the college sport’s sesquicentennial year.

NORTH AMERICA–College Football 150th Anniversary, a non-profit formed to celebrate 150 seasons of collegiate football, has tapped IMG College Licensing to serve as the exclusive product licensing agent for all celebration-related items.

The agreement will see IMG work across a variety of consumer product categories to highlight the history and traditions of the sport as well as its its contributions to American society and culture over 150 years.

“This is yet another step in the planning for a celebration that will highlight all that is good about college football,” says Kevin Weiberg, executive director, College Football 150th Anniversary. “IMG College Licensing is the leader in this area and we know they will do a wonderful job in assisting us with licensing on behalf of the Anniversary.”

The 150th anniversary of college football will kick off next year, 150 years after the first college football game between Princeton University and Rutgers University on November 6, 1869.
“We are thrilled to have been selected to work alongside the College Football 150th Anniversary team to develop a merchandise program that honors the history and influence of the sport,” says Cory Moss, senior vice president and managing director, IMG College Licensing. “College football is woven into the fabric of America, and we look forward to creating quality products and innovative marketing opportunities that allow consumers to express their college football fandom.”

IMG College Licensing is the world’s No. 10 largest licensor with an estimated $4.5 billion in retail sales in 2016 according to License Global’s annual Top 150 Global Licensors report. This year’s report, which examines licensed retail sales in 2017, will be released in April.