Bear Bryant was Bill Battle's first client.
The iconic coach who had drilled a young Battle in the fine art of gassers five-plus decades ago listened to a pitch from his former player 30-plus years ago.
The conversation went something like this: Let us manage the rights to your name, coach, your image.
<aside>
</aside>Thus was born Collegiate Licensing Company in 1981. After Bryant, Alabama became CLC's first university client. What was once the property of homey on-campus bookstores became a national and worldwide revolution in college souvenir sales. Any of those trinkets, jerseys, balls, shot glasses, pennants you buy from Ol' State U. They're likely to require a CLC license. That streamlined a process into a win-win for the manufacturer to wholesaler to consumer. That CLC license became the gold standard.
You can see how a basically little-regulated industry back then could explode into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Scores of folks have been prosecuted -- counterfeiters, basically, -- after trying to sell souvenirs without one of those licenses. Today, CLC is at a defendant in the Ed O'Bannon lawsuit that threatens to change the collegiate model. Battle, who formed the company, is now at the center of Alabama.
The 72-year old former player on Bryant's first national championship team was approved to become Alabama's next AD shortly before Mal Moore passed away in March. Battle's job at this point, basically, is not to screw things up in Tuscaloosa. Alabama, arguably, has never been better in its chief industry -- football. To that point Battle said the preparation of Nick Saban's staff is “all that on steroids” compared to Bryant's staff.
<aside>
</aside>A third consecutive national championship this season would be unprecedented. Because of that, an Alabama degree may have never been worth more than it is now. Battle is slightly younger than the man he replaced but has the desirable qualifications. He was a member of Bryant's first full recruiting class. As a coach, he guided Tennessee to three seasons of at least 10 wins (and top-10 finishes) in the 1970s. As a businessman, he is the Bear Bryant of the collegiate merchandise industry.
CLC was sold to IMG in 2007 for a reported $100 million. Battle served as president and CEO until 2002. You might have figured that Battle doesn't need the money from his current position. But Alabama needs the stability in these heady times.
In this interview Battle talks about a variety of subjects -- Alabama, CLC, Bear Bryant and himself. This is how the No. 1 football program looks from the top down right now.
The iconic coach who had drilled a young Battle in the fine art of gassers five-plus decades ago listened to a pitch from his former player 30-plus years ago.
The conversation went something like this: Let us manage the rights to your name, coach, your image.
<aside>
</aside>Thus was born Collegiate Licensing Company in 1981. After Bryant, Alabama became CLC's first university client. What was once the property of homey on-campus bookstores became a national and worldwide revolution in college souvenir sales. Any of those trinkets, jerseys, balls, shot glasses, pennants you buy from Ol' State U. They're likely to require a CLC license. That streamlined a process into a win-win for the manufacturer to wholesaler to consumer. That CLC license became the gold standard.
You can see how a basically little-regulated industry back then could explode into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Scores of folks have been prosecuted -- counterfeiters, basically, -- after trying to sell souvenirs without one of those licenses. Today, CLC is at a defendant in the Ed O'Bannon lawsuit that threatens to change the collegiate model. Battle, who formed the company, is now at the center of Alabama.
The 72-year old former player on Bryant's first national championship team was approved to become Alabama's next AD shortly before Mal Moore passed away in March. Battle's job at this point, basically, is not to screw things up in Tuscaloosa. Alabama, arguably, has never been better in its chief industry -- football. To that point Battle said the preparation of Nick Saban's staff is “all that on steroids” compared to Bryant's staff.
<aside>
</aside>A third consecutive national championship this season would be unprecedented. Because of that, an Alabama degree may have never been worth more than it is now. Battle is slightly younger than the man he replaced but has the desirable qualifications. He was a member of Bryant's first full recruiting class. As a coach, he guided Tennessee to three seasons of at least 10 wins (and top-10 finishes) in the 1970s. As a businessman, he is the Bear Bryant of the collegiate merchandise industry.
CLC was sold to IMG in 2007 for a reported $100 million. Battle served as president and CEO until 2002. You might have figured that Battle doesn't need the money from his current position. But Alabama needs the stability in these heady times.
In this interview Battle talks about a variety of subjects -- Alabama, CLC, Bear Bryant and himself. This is how the No. 1 football program looks from the top down right now.
