JONESBORO (9/4/08) ? Arkansas State Athletics recently announced that it has signed a five-year extension with the Collegiate Licensing Company to continue to oversee the department's licensing program.

"We are proud to continue our partnership with CLC," said Gleen Hart, Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing at ASU. "We feel like CLC is the leading company in its field, and our relationship with them will continue to make it easier for our fans to find licensed Red Wolves merchandise."

Atlanta-based CLC was founded in 1983 and is a driving force in the $4.0 billion annual market for collegiate licensing. The company works with hundreds of colleges and universities as well as conferences, bowl games and the NCAA itself to help its partners in the development, protection and management of their brands.

Arkansas State has seen steady increases in its licensing revenue since originally partnering with CLC. The 2007-08 fiscal year marked the fourth time in the last five years that ASU has recorded a record amount in licensing revenue. Over the last five years (2003-08), ASU's royalties represented a 260 percent increase from the first first year (2002-03) in which it began working with CLC.

The university also worked closely with CLC on the implementation of the school's new Red Wolves marks into the marketplace earlier this year.

"The best part of our record year last year was that it only represented about a month when Red Wolves apparel and merchandise was on the shelves," Hart said. "As more merchandise is produced and we get farther into football season, we anticipate another great year ahead."