Merchandise sales for games of this magnitude are big business, for legitimate retailers and the not-so-legit. Some unlicensed vendors in New Orleans this week were seen hawking "bootleg" shirts touting the Southeastern Conference Tide vs. the Western Athletic Conference Utes. The problem was, the Utes play in the Mountain West Conference. But the misprinted, unofficial shirts quickly vanished.

In Utah, the increased amount of sales of official merchandise has been one of the few bright spots for local retailers, who have struggled due to the sagging economy.

Steve Eliason, chief financial officer and general manager of Salt Lake City-based Fanzz Sports Apparel, said this exceptional football season could not have come at a better time, although he declined to offer specifics on the impact Utah merchandise sales has had on his stores.

"The Utes are definitely helping us in a difficult time," he said. His company's sales of University of Utah items have jumped significantly this year — a source of personal pride for Eliason, a Utah alum and former homecoming king in the mid-1990s.

He said that his stores are hoping for one more big win to cap off what has otherwise been a tough year in the retail business.

"They are our hometown football team," Eliason said. "From that perspective, it's the rose among the thorns in the retail world for us right now."

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Contributing: Dirk Facer

E-mail: jlee@desnews.com