Texas Tech outfitter says Colorado 'not interested' in wanting to 'Celebrate America'

The Buffs head to Lubbock with an interesting side story brewing before Saturday's game

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

An apparel shop in Lubbock, Texas recently found itself in a controversy involving the University of Colorado over a “Celebrate America” gameday shirt. The shirt, featuring the Texas Tech and Colorado helmets with an American flag design, aimed to highlight patriotism before TT’s home game against CU. However, despite Texas Tech’s approval, Colorado declined to license the design, reportedly stating it would not license products featuring the American flag, according to Red Raider Outfitter owner Stephen Spiegelberg.

Spiegelberg expressed frustration over Colorado’s decision, explaining that he was offered the option to remove the flag from the design, a condition he refused. “We refuse to do that because Colorado would receive financial benefit from those shirts,” he stated to KCBD-TV, adding that he believes limiting the use of the American flag is unreasonable. Spiegelberg further noted that his shop would avoid selling any Colorado-branded merchandise in response to this disagreement, as he does not want to support CU financially.

Red Raider Outfitter owner Stephen Spiegelberg said multiple times they were told by Colorado they were "not interested." pic.twitter.com/ua8SOKY9ZA

— KCBD NewsChannel11 (@KCBD11) November 7, 2024

Meanwhile, Colorado provided a different perspective. In a statement, a university spokesperson explained that licensing decisions are made based on general best practices and trademark standards, emphasizing that the rejection was not directly related to the “Celebrate America” theme.

"We get requests to use our marks and often decline for any number of reasons. In this case, the decision was unrelated to the “Celebrate America” theme. Our standards are consistently applied and are based on widely accepted licensing and trademark best practices used by national and global brands."

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Colorado’s athletic director Rick George defended the school's decision on social media, adding to the growing conversation surrounding this issue.

You are wrong @seanmdav Do your homework! https://t.co/r4779qbrsJ

— Rick George (@RickGeorgeCU) November 8, 2024

This dispute has ignited discussions where fans and others have weighed in with opinions on whether the flag’s use should be restricted on university-branded products. Colorado has, in the past, licensed various products incorporating the American flag, which adds complexity to the situation. Some speculate that the university's decision could be tied to broader brand management concerns rather than patriotism.

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The specific "Celebrate America" themed shirt is part of Texas Tech's gameday lineup. They also sold one eariler in the year "highlighting the cotton industry of West Texas," according to KCBD-TV. 
Interestingly, Red Raider Outfitter also sells a “Prime Day Ends Here” shirt, a jab at Colorado’s head coach, Deion Sanders, which raises questions about potential branding issues. With the 20th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes set to play Texas Tech in Lubbock, the game has gained an additional layer of intrigue on Saturday (4 p.m. ET on FOX).