USC Upstate Announces Exclusive Collab With Burg Apparel
1/24/2025 10:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball, General
SPARTANBURG, S.C.-- In a city where southern hospitality meets neighborhood pride, USC Upstate Athletics has partnered with Burg Apparel to create a retro-inspired apparel line that honors Spartanburg and Upstate's rich history. This partnership brings together a vision for USC Upstate Athletics and Burg Apparel to grow each other's brands.
Burg Apparel, founded in 2016, holds a national trademark to represent "Burgs" across the country--with its roots firmly planted in Spartanburg. After its founder, Lanie W. Carter, passed the reins to local business owner Brandi Dice, Burg Apparel found a new home at Art Lounge, Dice's brick-and-mortar retail store. Though Dice's background was originally in framing, her transition to apparel has been nothing short of an adventure.
"The growth of our business has been fun, and we were thrown into the thick of things early," Dice shared. "I never thought I'd be running an apparel company, but Lanie did a lot of the groundwork, and we've just hopped in the driver's seat and taken off. We want to expand beyond Spartanburg and be ingrained in all 'Burgs,' whether it's Gettysburg or any other place that carries the name."
For Dice, the partnership with USC Upstate Athletics is not just about creating merchandise; it's about building relationships. "Athletics and Lenny [Mathis] approached us last year about collaborating and doing a pop-up shop for a game around Christmas. The energy on campus is amazing, and we're excited to be part of it. We want to have a long-term relationship with USC Upstate, not just with athletics but the university as a whole."
The collaboration, which includes retro-inspired designs, highlights both brands' creativity and intentionality. "We don't want to put the Burg on everything," Dice explained. "We want to keep it on-brand and strategic. This partnership allows us to showcase our pride in Spartanburg while working with an organization that plays such a vital role in our community."
For USC Upstate, partnerships like this align perfectly with their goals. "We want to partner with trendy and unique businesses in our community," said Lenny Mathis, Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations at USC Upstate. "This is initially a retro-inspired collaboration, and we hope to continue working with Burg Apparel and others like them down the road."
Mathis emphasized the importance of strengthening ties between the university and local businesses. "Our community is built on USC Upstate graduates. From a higher education standpoint, we are a major economic driver, so it's important to continue building those relationships. We have a strong and growing brand."
Through its newly extended partnership with Affinity Licensing, USC Upstate Athletics continues to expand its reach, with merchandise now available in more locations than ever before. The collaboration with Burg Apparel is one of its newest ventures, signaling future growth and creative partnerships.
"We want to be intentional with our designs, logos, and partnerships," Mathis added. "We're in it for the long haul to ensure that Burg Apparel and anyone we work with is successful. We have a tremendous platform and want to use it to lift the businesses that make our community special."
As Burg Apparel and USC Upstate Athletics move forward together, the collaboration promises to bring more energy and innovation to Spartanburg. "We are really excited to see where this takes us as a company," Dice said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with the University—it's such a big part of our community."
Visit the Burg Apparel's online store and purchase the USC Upstate collab designs or any of their shirts, stickers and other apparel at www.burgapparel.com. Fans also have the unique opportunity to purchase the initial USC Upstate collab designs at the Wednesday, February 8 men's basketball game inside the G. B. Hodge Center. Tip-off against Winthrop is slated for 2:00 pm.
USC Upstate collab designs are officially licensed by Affinity Licensing.
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