The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) and NCAA Football announced Thursday the results of the inaugural College Colors Day Spirit Cup.
Penn State received the most fan support with 44,801 votes, winning $10,000 for the school’s general scholarship fund.
Texas A&M University finished second, followed by Missouri, West Virginia, and Alabama.
172 colleges and universities were represented in the competition that started August 1 and was scheduled to end August 31. The online voting ended August 24 due to inauthentic activity on the Pledge Your Allegiance website.
College Colors Day involves more than 10,000 stores representing the nation’s top retailers participating in events and promotions to provide fans all the gear they need to show their college spirit.
Sponsors say the collegiate fan base is the largest, most affluent, and the most well-educated in all of sports. Collegiate licensed merchandise generated nearly $4.6 billion in retail sales in 2011, with royalties from the merchandise going back to colleges to support scholarships and campus development programs.