Steve & Barry's University Sportswear

By Michele Blandino

Sports apparel - particularly apparel that features the names of popular collegiate teams - has become a big business. And, with well known manufacturers such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok landing contracts to become "the official outfitter" of these teams, it has also become a lucrative business. For instance, the same manufacturer who outfits a particular college's football team will usually be given the opportunity to stock the school's bookstore with pricey "official" merchandise as well.

Low Cost, High Quality

The problem is, many college students are not in the financial position to plunk down $40 or more for a sweatshirt.

The owners of Steve and Barry's University Sportswear - two guys named - you guessed it, Steve and Barry - recognized this tremendous opportunity and set to work at identifying a solution. The result was Steve and Barry's University Sportswear.

The store's mission, as stated on its website is to "offer the largest selection of high quality graphics and garments, all at prices substantially lower than those previously available at college bookstores."

And, it seems as though they have succeeded.

While the garments found at Steve & Barry's won't feature the well known brand names and logos that adorn the majority of college gear, what you will find are garments that are well made and will hold up over time. And best of all, every item at Steve and Barry's is priced at $7.98 or less.

That's right $7.98 or less.

Regional Flavor

With a large selection of clothing items such as jeans, khaki pants, t-shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants, button down shirts, jackets and even footwear, it's likely that you will find something to fit your style without breaking your budget. And, as would be expected, the majority of the items available at the store feature the names and logos of nationally recognized as well as local and regional colleges and universities. But, there is also a large selection of items that are logo-free.

What's fun about this store is that the inventory varies by location. While you will see the most popular teams such as Notre Dame, Michigan and Ohio State in every store, if you are in, say, New England, you will also see an extensive collection of apparel for most, if not all of the smaller colleges and universities in the region.

Steve and Barry's University Sportswear got its start in 1985 with the opening of its first store. Hoping to capitalize on the budget conscious college student, efforts were made to open stores on or near large college campuses. In recent years, the company has expanded into shopping malls and now has more than 45 stores in operation.

The typical Steve & Barry's store is big - 90,000 square feet is typical. While it's easy to become overwhelmed with the size of the store, after a few minutes of browsing, chances are you will become quickly oriented with the way it is organized.

Can You Buy Online?

For those who are not lucky enough to be near one of these locations, you will have to hope future expansion includes your area. According to the company's website, there are no plans to offer online or catalog sales.