Georgia State planned Tennessee upset merchandise over a month in advance
Before the Georgia State football team returned to Atlanta from Rocky Top, merchandise celebrating the 38-30 upset win over Tennessee was already on sale. GSU was so confident about the Panthers’ chances in Knoxville that planning for the shirts began in late July.
Ray Glier of Forbes details what went into the “#UpseT 38-30” shirts that were on sale shortly after Saturday’s game ended. According to Glier’s report, GSU got the shirt licensed on Tuesday, leaving the score as XX-XX at the time.
According to Glier’s article, GSU marketing called in the score as 38-23 to the printer with about a minute left in the game. The Volunteers managed to notch a late touchdown before time expired, but the shirts ended up with the correct 38-30 score.
“These things don’t happen overnight,” GSU athletic director Charlie Cobb told Glier. “We need to be prepared for things like this, to be able to turn on a dime. We’ve got an experienced staff and they have different ideas they put out there and it’s always great to dream.
“We have a lot of belief in (GSU head coach) Shawn (Elliott) and his coaches and the kids so you want to be able to capture the moment. And most of us have been around and have seen what the marquee win can create so we certainly don’t want to be left behind.”
Image via Georgia State store