PITTSBURGH (November 15, 2018) – The University of Pittsburgh and Dyehard Fan Supply are collaborating to merchandise official Pitt athletic products beginning Jan. 1, 2019. Dyehard, an event and retail merchandise marketing and e-commerce company, will become the official merchandising partner for Pitt Athletics on-line and in venue at Heinz Field, Fitzgerald Field House and Petersen Sports Complex (Charles L. Cost Field, Ambrose Urbanic Field and Vartabedian Field).
“We are thrilled to announce our merchandising partnership with Dyehard Fan Supply,” said University of Pittsburgh Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. “This collaboration will allow us to continue to strengthen our brand and provide our tremendous fans with an extensive selection of apparel and merchandise. Dyehard Fan Supply has a tremendous reputation in the industry and we look forward to having them on our team at the University of Pittsburgh.”
The Panthers have been in a long-term agreement with the Steelers (PSSI). The new agreement has the Steelers’ full support, as PSSI will continue to supply game day retail merchandise staffing at Heinz Field. Dyehard will handle online sales through pittsburghpanthers.com, game day and in-venue merchandising for all Pitt Athletics teams except men’s and women’s basketball, which will be managed internally by the university.
Dyehard will be instrumental in suppling new school merchandising at athletics events and online. In addition to carrying a full line of Nike apparel and headwear, Dyehard Fan Supply will also feature products from high profile brands such as New Era, Columbia, Original Retro Brand, Peter Millar and Vineyard Vines. Dyehard’s commitment to the Pitt fan will include the debut of new brands and categories each season. Pitt fans will see Dyehard Fan Supply at athletic venues with merchandise kiosks and points-of-sale throughout Heinz Field as well as at other varsity sports venues.
“The Dyehard Fan Supply team is honored to have been selected as the official merchandising partner for University of Pittsburgh Athletics,” said Dyehard CEO Rex Hough. “Pitt fans will see Dyehard build on the legacy created by the Steelers’ merchandising program and can expect nothing short of white glove service from us. It’s incredibly exciting to serve as the official merchandiser for Pitt Athletics. The other schools Dyehard represents have provided positive feedback from their fans, particularly during this fall’s football season, and we look forward to bringing a similar merchandising experience to Panthers Athletics beginning in January.”
The agreement with University of Pittsburgh Athletics marks the sixth major collegiate division partnership for Dyehard, which also serves as official merchandising partner for Rutgers University, the University of Arkansas, Auburn University, the University of North Carolina and Columbia University Athletics.
Teall Sports & Entertainment, a private equity company based in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; and San Francisco, Calif., created Dyehard Fan Supply in late 2017 after acquiring several companies offering an expansive national network of best-in-class merchandise capabilities. Teall anticipates additional future investments that will contribute to the top-quality retail experience for fans and customers.
Hough said the relationship between University of Pittsburgh Athletics and leadership within Dyehard’s parent company, Teall Sports & Entertainment, paved the way for the new merchandising agreement.
Dyehard Fan Supply has handled merchandising programs for many of America’s most notable sporting events and organizations, including Olympic Games, NBA finals, World Series, Davis Cup tennis, MLB All-Star Games, America’s Cup, the U.S. Open, the USTA Jr. Team Tennis & League National Championships, the TCS New York City Marathon, and numerous professional and college football championships and bowls. In 2017, Dyehard executed new partnership deals with the Music City Bowl in Nashville, the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, and a significant, long-term partnership with Tough Mudder, one of the fastest-growing athletic competitions in America. Dyehard has also handled merchandising for several Broadway shows and concerts.
“Based on my personal experience with Dyehard, Pitt fans can look forward to a best-in-class merchandising experience from a company that offers the highest standards of customer service in the industry,” said Ben C. Sutton, Jr., chairman and managing partner of Teall Sports & Entertainment and former IMG College chairman and CEO. “In less than a year since its formation, Dyehard has written a completely new merchandising playbook for athletics programs at a number of major programs.”
“I’m confident the talented team at Dyehard will continue its fast-paced, customer-focused path to success at Pitt and other collegiate and professional programs as well as other events,” Sutton added. “The best is yet to come from Dyehard Fan Supply.”
About Teall Sports & Entertainment
Teall Sports & Entertainment is a privately-held set of investments in innovative, high-growth-potential lifestyle brands and services. Teall invests in complementary organizations that collaborate to share thought leadership and leverage individual networks to realize greater value.
Led by Founder and Chairman Ben C. Sutton, Jr., the Teall Sports & Entertainment management team includes several of the top executives that built and expanded four national market-leading businesses into a nearly billion-dollar enterprise in the college sports space: IMG College Media, IMG Seating, IMG College Licensing, and IMG Ticketing. Teall Sports & Entertainment leadership provides operating companies with access to expertise in corporate strategy, organizational management, culture and training, financial strategy, employee operations, recruiting, and legal diligence. Visit TeallCapital.com for more information.
About Dyehard Fan Supply
Dyehard Fan Supply is an event and retail merchandise, marketing, and e-commerce company. An international company focusing on superior customer service, Dyehard leverages an expansive network of best-in-class companies to produce top quality merchandise for college and professional sports, tennis and golf tournaments, bowl games, concerts, festivals, races, and Broadway musicals. Visit dyehardfansupply.com for more information.