While at Texas, Vince Young helped fill up the trophy case, and even today he continues to help fill up the pocket book of the Horns.
The Collegiate Licensing Company oversees the sale of University merchandise for most of the major BCS schools, and they announced recently that Texas led the second quarter of the 2007-08 fiscal year in royalties on all collegiate merchandise sold. From Oct. 2007 through Dec. 2007 the top five were:
1. Texas
2. Michigan
3. Notre Dame
4. Florida
5. Georgia
It continues a pattern of sales that was established after Vince Young led Texas to the National Championship. At the begining of the decade, Texas was 11th in collegiate sales. In 2001-02 the Horns moved into the Top 10 at number 8, and the next year Texas moved into the Top 5. By 2003-04 and 2004-05, Texas was firmly entrenched in 3rd in collegiate sales behind North Carolina and Michigan.
Then came the National Championship game in the Rose Bowl.
Texas not only vaulted to the top spot for 2005-06, it made collegiate licensing history by generating the most royalties ever by a college or university. Texas boosted its royalties over 100% by taking in $8.2 million in royalties. The previous record was just over $6 million 12 years earlier, set by the Michigan Wolverines and the "Fab Five."
North Carolina had held the top spot for five years, but Texas has been the leader in merchandising sales since then. T-shirts and caps are the main sellers, but it is hardly limited to clothing.
Several BCS schools do not use Collegiate Licensing Company for royalties, the most prominant being Ohio State, Va. Tech, Oregon and Texas A&M.