The University Bookstore, as well as area stores that carry Nicholls merchandise, have reported sale increases since the introduction of the new Nicholls logos and the Colonels football team’s conference championship win. Although students still request paraphernalia with the Colonel, items with the new logos have been well received, Angelle Caillouet, University Bookstore manager, said. No longer are the shelves filled with just red, blue and gray. Nicholls merchandise can now also be found in pastels and other not-so-traditional colors.

“The new prints and designs work very well on clothing, and our different colored line for women has done well,” Caillouet said. “Some still like the traditional Nicholls colors, but some want more color. I see color all over campus.”

Caillouet said the Nicholls flip-flops have become a popular item, but “Harvard on the Bayou” items are, by far, the best sellers.

“That’s one of the old designs, but we get requests for them from all over the country,” she said. “The shirts hold up well so chances are that if you buy one as a freshmen, you’ll still be wearing it long after graduation.”

The University Bookstore has also sold Nicholls merchandise through its Web site since 2001. While Caillouet does not know whether the shoppers are alumni or what their connection to the University is, she said orders are shipped to all parts of the country. The Web site generates at least two to three orders a day.

Caillouet said the Nicholls football Southland Conference championship shirts have also sold well. The bookstore ordered about 100 T-shirts, and about 17 are left.

Shaun Danos, manager of Sports Avenue in the Southland Mall, said his store sold a lot of Nicholls merchandise the week prior to the championship game. Sports Avenue, which previously carried only Nicholls hats, now carries a few styles of Nicholls T-shirts, hitch covers, flags, license plates and sweatshirts. Danos said the conference championship T-shirts they carry have sold pretty well. The store has about 12 to 15 remaining.

“I can’t really account for whether we’ve seen an increase in sales of Nicholls products,” Danos said. “However, we have been expanding our selection of Nicholls merchandise, so I guess in those terms we have seen some increase. I did see people who would not have normally come in to buy Nicholls merchandise looking for some Nicholls stuff, especially prior to the championship game.”

Danos said hats remain the biggest Nicholls seller for Sports Avenue, which carries them in a few different colors and both fitted and adjustable ones.

Wal-Mart in Thibodaux also noticed an increase in the sale of Nicholls merchandise after this year’s football season, Mary Ledet, department manager of mens wear, said.

“It seemed like toward the end of the season as the Colonels were winning, everybody wanted Nicholls merchandise,” Ledet said. However, Wal-Mart is currently out of stock of Nicholls merchandise.

“I have ordered more, but they will not come in for another three to four weeks,” Ledet said. “Right now we’re not able to bring in more items than we typically stock because we are in remodel, but after that they’ll let me bring in more.”

Ledet said she currently has some requests from customers for Nicholls merchandise and has ordered some additional items, which will come in once the remodeling is done.

Charles Guidry, manager of Academy Sports & Outdoors, said his store’s sales of Nicholls merchandise has also increased in the last year as the store began asking for and receiving more Nicholls items. Guidry said when Academy first opened it did not carry many Nicholls items.

“It seems that the more increases in stock we get, the better the sales are,” Guidry said. “Right now we’re down on our product stock due to increased sales.”

Academy stocks Nicholls hats, fleece pullovers, T-shirts and caps. Guidry said he believes that Nicholls merchandise would sell even better if the school had a mascot image.

“I think in the future we may start carrying more Nicholls merchandise but I believe the school needs to get a mascot to put on apparel. It would look a lot better and help the sale of University products.