The University of Arizona Wildcats are heading to their first Men’s NCAA Tournament Final Four in 25 years, but amid the excitement, fans are being warned to watch out for counterfeit merchandise.
The university’s campus store received its first shipment of official Final Four merchandise this week and quickly sold out, according to 13 News Tucson, Arizona. With official gear in short supply, many fans have turned to unauthorized retailers and online stores to find merchandise.
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The university is urging fans not to purchase from unlicensed vendors, citing concerns about product quality and the risks of consumer fraud and money laundering.
Cat Hanson, Trademarks and Licensing Program Manager at the University of Arizona, told 13 News that fans can protect themselves by shopping at the campus store or authorized pop-up locations and looking for key authenticity markers on official merchandise. Every official Final Four shirt will feature a hologram sticker, and fans should also verify that spelling and colors are correct.
The top-seeded Wildcats punched their ticket to the Final Four for the first time since 2001 with an impressive 79-64 victory over No. 2-seeded Purdue. Arizona will face No. 1-seeded Michigan on April 4.
More: Who’s in Final Four? Updated March Madness bracket, NCAA Tournament schedule
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Authorized pop-up shops information
According to 13 News, authentic Arizona merchandise can be purchased at the following locations, with the pop-up shop hours being 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from March 30 to April 9:
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Park & Speedway pop-up shop
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Park & 6th St pop-up shop
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Speedway & Campbell pop-up shop
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Football Stadium parking lot pop-up shop
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Campbell & 6th pop-up shop
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Hi Corbett parking lot pop-up shop
How to watch the men’s Final Four
This year’s Final Four will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. In the first semifinal, No. 3 Illinois takes on No. 2 UConn at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 4, followed by the matchup between No. 1 Arizona and No. 1 Michigan at 8:49 p.m. ET. Both games can be watched on TBS.
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Game 1: No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 2 UConn | Saturday, April 4 | 6:09 p.m. | TBS | Sling TV
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Game 2: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 1 Michigan | Saturday, April 4 | 8:49 p.m. | TBS | Sling TV
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arizona warns fans to be aware of fake Final Four merchandise
