University of Houston Athletics
Houston Athletics Enters Partnership with Barnes & Noble College Booksellers
6/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | General
June 28, 2010
HOUSTON - In an effort to provide improved merchandise with higher quality and customer service, the University of Houston Athletics Department recently entered into a partnership with Barnes & Noble College Booksellers to manage the Cougars' gift and apparel store, Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades recently announced.
Located on the first floor of the Athletics/Alumni Center near the Athletics Ticket Office, the new store will offer more brand names from which fans can choose. Barnes & Noble personnel also will sell merchandise at home events.
"We are very excited about working with Barnes & Noble College Booksellers in the management of our gift and apparel store," Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Operations Darren Dunn said. "Barnes and Noble has earned a well-deserved reputation with its work on college campuses across the country, and we look forward to seeing how it will reenergize our merchandise sales, both in the store and online."
The old Cougar Authentic store recently closed, giving Barnes & Noble representatives time to move in and redesign the physical layout of the store. The new store reopened Monday.
Barnes & Noble College Booksellers operate bookstores at more than 600 U.S. college and universities, serving nearly 4 million students and more than 250,000 faculty members.
NAMING THE NEW STORE
With the store under a new partnership, Houston administrators now are reaching out to fans for help in coming up with a new name.
From now through July 23, fans can submit their suggested names for the new gift and apparel store. After the deadline, Athletics Department administrators and Barnes & Noble representatives will review all ideas and select a winner. If more than one entry has the winning name, officials will draw for the winner.
The new name will be announced in early August.
Fans can submit their ideas for the new store's name online HERE.
PRIZES
The winning entry will win $100 in merchandise from the new store and four tickets to a 2010 Cougar Football game.
