That Saint Peter’s could be on the same court, let alone beat, the likes of Kentucky and Purdue, is the incredible appeal of the NCAA Tournament.
But the power of the Cinderella story is equally about what happens as a result of the success.
Over the last 10 days, the run by the Peacocks from New Jersey into the Elite Eight has generated $131.9 million in equivalent advertising from all media mentions, according to sponsorship and media tracking firm Apex Marketing. That’s for an athletic department that has a $7.5 million budget.
“This is the power of the NCAA Tournament,” said Apex’s Eric Smallwood. “We are watching their brand grow before our eyes.”
In the first 17 days of March, 40 pieces of licensed apparel were sold with the Peacocks' logo on it, according to numbers shared by the school from the Collegiate Licensing Company, which manages licenses for the school.
Licensee Trevco had generated $773 million in sales for Saint Peter’s in the two months before the tournament.
On Saturday, the day after Saint Peter’s defeated Purdue to get into the Elite Eight, Trevco reported selling 2,895 pieces of apparel for more than $75,000 in sales, with revenues up 17,000 percent in March alone.
To put this all in perspective, Saint Peter’s gear has generated $131,000 in sales thus far in March, more than what was bought of the school's gear in 2020 and 2021 combined.
This is the first time a 15 seed has ever made it to the Elite Eight.
Can Saint Peter’s beat North Carolina on Sunday and continue the run to face a retiring Coach K and Duke in the Final Four? The betting public thinks so.
Of those that bet on the moneyline for the game, 64 percent of the money at Caesars Sportsbook is on the Peacocks.
