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How it started: As huge college sports fans, Connor and Christa Hitchcock started Homefield in 2017 after they felt the college apparel scene was lacking. “We really wanted to wear something thoughtful, something that captured the unique experiences of cheering for our teams and attending our schools,” Connor Hitchcock said. “Fortunately, IU first gave us an opportunity in 2017 to become licensed, and we’ve never looked back.”
Market niche: Homefield is known for offerings that stretch beyond typical college-branded merchandise. It looks for logos, phrases and moments within a school’s history that stand out as part of the fan and student experience. An example is Indiana University’s short-lived Bison mascot. That tee (Homefield’s first design) is its all-time best seller.
Products: T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, jackets, sweatpants, quarter zips. The pieces of clothing aren’t made in Indiana, but Homefield screenprints most of its designs in its Speedway facility.
More than a shirt: “College sports are different from professional sports because, at a fundamental level, the fan experience is more intimate,” Hitchcock said. “We realized early on that our college sports brand must replicate that intimate sense of community—we’ve thrown tailgates and watch parties on over 40 different campuses the past two years for alums to re-create that sense of community not around a team but around our brand. The result has been creating die-hard customers who come back at extremely high rates.”
Licensed schools: over 200 (including all Power Four schools)
Most popular schools (in order): IU, Notre Dame, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee
Production: Over 500,000 items sold per year.
Superfan? One Michigan fan has bought an item from every school Homefield offers. “He’s even bought Ohio State and Michigan State,” Hitchcock said.
Where to shop: Besides online, fans can find Homefield at over 100 college campus bookstores and national retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Academy Sports + Outdoors and Rally House.
Website: homefieldapparel.com
—Compiled by Cate Charron
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