Sept. 28, 2007

Moraga, CA - Champs stores throughout the Bay Area will begin to carry SMC merchandise today, marking the first time in the College's history that an official in-store licensing agreement has been signed with an off-campus vendor. For a complete listing of stores carrying SMC merchandise, please see below.

By leveraging the release of its new athletic logo and simultaneously working through its licensing company, Strategic Marketing Affiliates, the Department of Athletics was able to set up an exclusive deal with Champs Sports. In exchange for carrying the new SMC apparel, Champs has been titled the "exclusive off campus distributor" of SMC athletic apparel.

"We are extremely excited for this opportunity," said Director of Athletics, Mark Orr. For as long as I have been at Saint Mary's, our fans and alums have requested to see our apparel in stores at the local malls. This initial offering is the first step in fulfilling these requests."

Currently, Champs will be carrying a line of high-end t-shirts, showcasing the new athletic mark. Fans are urged to head out to one of the featured Champs locations to pick up a piece of apparel.

"This is a big step in marketing not only our department, but more importantly, the College as a whole," commented Director of Marketing and Advertising, Mike Samuels. "Assuming that we have a strong showing with the initial product, this should lead to Champs carrying a full line of SMC apparel."

The following Champs stores are included in those that will be carrying the initial line of apparel:

Sun Valley Mall 119 Sun Valley Mall Concord, CA 94520

San Francisco Centre 865 Market Street San Francisco, CA 94103

Stonestown Galleria 3251 20th Avenue San Francisco, CA 94132

Hilltop Mall 2145 Hilltop Mall Road Richmond, CA 94806