Neither Fanatics nor Knights Apparel will print a single championship shirt until the game ends. (A handful of official NCAA hats and T-shirts do get printed, just enough to cover either winner immediately after the game.) Brick-and-mortar retailers now prep what are called “if win orders.”
The Shrunken Head Boutique, a longtime Chapel Hill’s outpost for UNC memorabilia, has lined up orders with eight different vendors, manager Genny Wrenn said. More than 8,000 championship shirts will arrive at 6 a.m. Tuesday, April 5 -- if and only if the Tar Heels win.
Long ago, being prepared was more expensive. When UNC advanced to the championship in 1981, the Shrunken Head stocked title shirts to sell that night. When Isiah Thomas led Indiana to victory, the North Carolina shop printed “almost” at the bottom and sold as many as possible.
What happens with the discarded plans? They’re saved in case they’re needed in the future. Fermata Partners has a folder for a 2015 Notre Dame football national title (the Irish finished 10-2) and another for a 2014 Oregon football championship (the Ducks lost to Ohio State in the title game).
“We haven’t had to reuse one yet, but we’re ready,” Eiler said.