College basketball is a popular sport and big business. Countless dollars are spent within the industry, and the money isn’t only going into the pockets of overpaid pro athletes.

There is an ever-growing demand for college basketball apparel, memorabilia and footwear. Fans of all ages purchase autographed caps to promote their favorite players. Older fans are taking a nostalgic turn and buying basketball jerseys of their own college teams. The younger set, meanwhile, is raised in the fashions launched by their favorite basketball stars.

At the onset of the NCAA tournament in March, demand for college basketball merchandise goes through the roof. Suddenly, every college basketball fan is shopping for college caps, jerseys, shorts, headbands, wristbands and team logo merchandise.

Basketball shoes are in particular demand, as all fans want to sport the shoes endorsed by their favorite athletes. Nike, Reebok and Adidas have all fueled this fire by marketing shoes named for popular basketball starts. Ever since Chuck Taylor endorsed his first pair of Converse sneakers back in 1923, children have been tirelessly pleading with parents to buy shoes carrying the name of their favorite athletes. The high voltage advertising that accompanies basketball game telecasts only fuels the “gotta-have” basketball fever.

The arrival of the Internet has made college basketball merchandise even more accessible. Buyers can now purchase anything and everything online, from college flags, banners, hats, helmets and jackets, to shoes, shorts, watches, jewelry and more. Autographed photographs of favorite players, and photos from historic matches can be easily purchased online. You can even buy a watch that was worn by a coach or a star player.

The Internet has made it extremely easy for fans to find basketball merchandise associated with their particular choice of college. Some sites offer custom-made basketball uniforms, allowing fans the opportunities to enter their size requirements to purchase “regulation” jerseys, jackets and shorts.

Folding chairs are available in college colors, stainless steel and pewter travel mugs, water bottles, helmets — virtually anything you want is emblazoned with college basketball logos and ready to please hungry fans. Even desktops are getting into the college basketball memorabilia groove, and the tech-savvy fan can purchase an optical mouse in his or her choice of college colors.

An online auction site can be a great place to pick up college basketball merchandise. There are hundreds of retailers posting basketball memorabilia on these auction sites, waiting to sell to the highest bidder. Buyer, beware: if you’re in the market for memorabilia you must bid with caution. There is an influx of fake memorabilia on the market. Always be sure to check the seller’s return policy and customer feedback rating before you agree to make your purchase.

From the day the big tourney kicks off in March, and right through Christmas, college basketball merchandise means big money for marketers. If you have a college basketball fan in your life, you’ll never be short of great gift ideas.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 at 9:59 am and is filed under Basketball. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.