Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.

Turf Talk: Showing the Gold

Photo courtesy of Tempe GameDay. Jillian Idle, Tara Lea, Theresa Kyte show their school spirit in style.
Photo courtesy of Tempe GameDay. Jillian Idle, Tara Lea, Theresa Kyte show their school spirit in style.

“Black Out” left Sun Devil Stadium pitch black and the sea of gold leaves our team with nothing less than golden results. But with glory in the gear, another color matters; you shed green to bleed maroon and gold.

Tempe GameDay, a newly created company, has given “the green” back to people’s pockets while still giving them the sense of pride fans seek. Tempe GameDay is a shirt manufacturing and distribution company but like to think they are a complete exception to the typical shirts seen on racks…in both price and style.

What makes these shirts atypical is the fact that they call out individual teams, not just the Wildcats alone; “No Pity for the Kitty” shirts are not the only shirts around campus. “Black Out” featured the words “Blacked Out” while the game verse University of Southern California [USC]…let’s just say Arizona State has been “Breaking Trojans since 1885.”

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="2"]

According to Tempe GameDay’s Facebook page, more than one-hundred and fifty “Blacked Out” shirts were sold within a few days. The USC shirt had about four-hundred within a couple days.

“I’m not surprised but more pleased with everyone. We make fun, inexpensive shirts and always try to get the student opinion. People want to root for a good team and have school pride…and trash talk while they’re doing it,” says junior Brett Fitzgerald, a Finance major; despite being a co-founder in the company, Fitzgerald feels that “it is more about the company and feeling good about seeing people supporting ASU.”

The shirts usually cost ten dollars. What is also extraordinary about the business of it all is that Tempe GameDay does not look to make a profit to benefit themselves. All extra profit from the shirts sold go toward continuing the company, primarily ordering next week’s shirts. The Oregon State shirt features “We Fork Beavers” and can still be purchased prior to the game.

“I’m going to keep buying them. The first one my roommate and I bought we wore around campus and everyone was asking where we got them. They’re really funny and everyone loves them,” says freshman Madeline Nightengale, an Accounting major.

According to Fitzgerald, they “pride themselves in coming up with shirts never made before.”

“I don’t think anybody has made ‘Breaking Trojans since 1885’…,” says Fitzgerald. “The main purpose is to promote school spirit and get everyone excited about the upcoming game.”

Tempe GameDay looks to expand and “expand into different areas.” Looking to target all campuses and connect the entire student fandom, the company’s next objective is building a website. The website is still in the works and developing but said to be up and running before the rival game, Arizona State vs. University of Arizona; the domain will be www.tempegameday.com.

“It basically says that we’re ready to go. ASU is better than everyone else. They [the shirts] distinguish the true ASU fans,” says junior Nick Ayers, an Econ major.  “It’s a great way to connect everyone. It’s here for us to express how much we want to win and get behind our football team.”

With each shirt that circulates the campus, one more fan is added to the sea of gold come game day. There, Sun Devil Nation has the opportunity to make a difference. Question is: can last year be beat?

Got sports? E-mail me at: bcapria@asu.edu


Continue supporting student journalism and donate to The State Press today.

Subscribe to Pressing Matters



×

Notice

This website uses cookies to make your experience better and easier. By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.