Any time there’s a major sporting event or special occasion happening in the professional arena, apparel geeks go crazy. Fans can’t wait to get their hands on the decorated merch that supports their team, commemorates their attendance at the event, or just shows support in other ways. And right now, the professional sports world is going crazy.

For those who might not be NFL fans, the two teams that will face each other in the Super Bowl this year are the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. That game is scheduled for Feb. 12. Apparel decorators who contract this type of work were ready to release these teams’ apparel within minutes of the respective AFC/NFC championships. The same will be done once the champion is crowned.

Fanatics is one of the top companies working within this space, with several Super Bowl apparel items already up for grabs. The mega decorator is already highlighting its Kansas City Chiefs gear, likely with more to come.

The problem is, knockoffs and scams also heighten at this time of year. Just recently, TechCrunch released a report that a network of knockoff apparel stores exposed over 300,000 customer credit cards. While this particular incident likely didn’t have anything to do with licensed sports apparel, the lesson remains the same: knockoffs spell trouble.

This is especially true for those decorators out there that might be printing licensed apparel without the proper credentials. For those who do work within this space, it’s all about doing business by the books.

Licensed Apparel All-Stars

The Super Bowl isn’t the only big event happening within the professional sports world in February. The NBA All-Star game is set to take place on Feb. 19. The game is yet another occasion in which merch can be found everywhere.

Of particular interest are special collections and limited releases. This year, fans might hope to get their hands on the NBA All-Star Game X HBCU (historically black colleges and universities) Classic limited edition gear. According to a press release shared by Syracuse.com, the collection features limited-edition designs celebrating the NBA All-Star Game. Among the items are T-shirts, hoodies, and more.

This is the second edition of the HBCU Classic, which gives HBCU players a national spotlight, provides interning opportunities for students at HBCUs, and raises money for those specific institutions.

But mega companies such as Fanatics aren’t the only ones decorating gear for professional sports teams, especially when it comes to championships and other special events.

Talk to any decorator within the industry about the world of licensed apparel, and you’ll get the same answer: do it by the book. Apparelist spoke with a few different shops on the topic, who wish to remain anonymous, and they all agree that the rules are pretty black and white. Printing gear that you don’t have permission to can, and often does, lead to your business being shut down.