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Saluki athletes' numbers for sale

Darren Brooks experiences a bittersweet feeling when he sees a fan wearing a Saluki basketball jersey emblazoned with the number one.

On one hand, he swells with pride seeing his number on a fan's jersey.

On the other, he knows not a single cent of the $60 spent on the shirt will ever make its way into his pockets.

NCAA regulations prohibit the use of a student-athlete's name for any commercial purposes, including apparel such as jerseys. However, a number is simply a number, and can be used freely. This is not a secret to the student-athletes or the schools they attend. "It's just something that goes with the territory," Brooks, a senior guard for SIU basketball, said.

That territory includes winning programs generating local, and at times, national stars in the increasingly commercial world of college sports.

As the SIU basketball program has positioned itself as an annual force and the football team is predicted to make a second consecutive postseason appearance, Saluki jerseys have become a way for fans to identify with their favorite players.

Mike Trude, director of marketing and promotions for SIU, said this is especially true with basketball, since the team is smaller and individual players are more easily recognized than in football.

"You see these guys, you recognize them, you know them," Trude said. "There's no helmet in the way."

And so, Sylvester Willis, Brooks and Jamaal Tatum of the 2003 SIU basketball team often had their numbers plastered on replica jerseys in local stores.

The numbers of Tom Koutsos and Muhammad Abdulqaadir, the famed Thunder and Lightning of SIU's 2003 football team, were prominently featured on jerseys as well.

"With their numbers on the back, the public knew who they were," Trude said, referring to the duo. "The jerseys sold, and they sold well."

In a reflection of the success of the Salukis, demand for jerseys has increased. Randy Johnson, the manager of 710 Bookstore, has doubled the stock of jerseys offered to fans in the past three years.

"It's been a steady increase year-by-year," Johnson said. "Each year builds on itself and the anticipation rises."

This year, 710 Bookstore currently has football jerseys with the numbers 12 and seven displayed on them. Those numbers belong to SIU quarterback Joel Sambursky and senior safety Alexis Moreland, two of the pillars supporting the house that Kill built.

Johnson said the youth-sized Sambursky jerseys have already been reordered once since the start of the football season. He attributes many of the sales to the female population of SIU wanting a jersey with 12 on the back.

"Imagine that," Johnson said with a smirk. "All the girls want the long-haired, handsome quarterback's jersey."

Sambursky's eyes widened a bit when asked about that, and in a very rare occasion, the junior was unable to quickly form a response.

"Well...I, uh...don't know what to think about that," Sambursky stuttered, clearly befuddled by the prospect of being a campus sex symbol. "I guess I just haven't noticed it."

Blank jerseys also hang on the racks, and for a few extra dollars customers can have whatever name and number they desire printed on the sportswear. Johnson said jerseys with the numbers of running backs Brandon Jacobs and Arkee Whitlock have already been requested.

Since the football team is so large and there is no conceivable way to order pre-printed jerseys for each player, custom jerseys are particularly popular with families of Salukis, according to Johnson.

One example, Johnson said, occurred last week when SIU cornerback Brad Brachear's grandmother bought a jersey and had his number printed on it.

However, Trude thinks there is actually less of a demand for jerseys as opposed to more traditional apparel such as hats and shirts. He said the high cost of a good jersey could turn off the casual fan.

When jerseys do sell, it is known the student-athletes represented by their numbers do not receive any compensation. The school itself, though, does.

The Collegiate Licensing Company is a licensing and marketing company based in Atlanta. SIU is included in a slew of schools represented by the firm.

After CLC's involvement, vendors and various other licensed marketers of jerseys are included, how much does SIU stand to gain off the sale of Saluki jerseys? The answer is not very much.

Athletic jerseys are lumped together with all Saluki apparel sold, and SIU receives 8 percent of the profits after all is said and done.

Ryan Prowell, SIU's agent at CLC, said retail jersey sales are estimated to be at $4,350 for the first quarter of the 2004-05 fiscal year. That is not the amount of royalties earned-which is the much smaller amount of $174.

What might be considered by some to be exploitation of a student-athlete's renown is actually just a drip in the very deep bucket of money that can be earned by a university, at least in SIU's case.

Paul Kowalczyk, athletic director for SIU, said more income is earned off the school's inclusion in popular computer games-which depends on the success of the student-athletes and the athletic program itself.

Again, the student-athletes represented in the games receive no compensation for the use of their numbers.

Kowalczyk also repeated Trude, saying the demand for traditional items generated more revenue for the school.

"I don't think any one item supercedes all others when it comes to sales," Kowalczyk said. "But I'm sure we make more money off of hats and sweatshirts."

Making money is integral to the continued success of athletic programs, so even the scant eight percent the school earns can help.

As for people criticizing the NCAA rules regulations, saying college athletes are exploited cash cows for the organization and the schools it governs, Sambursky and Moreland had a different opinion.

"I just love the support for the team," Moreland said about his number being on replica jerseys. "My education has totaled around $38,000 and I have an opportunity to do something better with my life. They don't abuse us here."

Sambursky, after making a joke his jersey must be on the clearance racks, became serious about the issue of exploitation.

"I'm definitely broke and I could definitely use some extra money," Sambursky said. "Truth be told though, I have a great scholarship and am in a great position. I'm not exploited, SIU is taking care of me."