Upcycling Could Solve Merchandise Issues Created by the Transfer Portal

Last Updated on May 22, 2025

One of the leading consultancies in collegiate sports partnerships, College Athletics Management (CAM), is teaming up with Refried Apparel to help universities address product inventory issues related to the transfer portal. Widely known for their contributions to sustainable upcycling, Refried Apparel has worked closely with professional sports teams across the MLB, NBA, and NHL, configuring their unsold clothing into trendy yet sustainable attire. 

The overstocked inventory that Refried Apparel uses comprises of athletes who have been traded or retired, making products with their name and number on them defunct. Refried Apparel turns jerseys and T-shirts into drawstring backpacks, scarves, tote bags, and even brand-new T-shirts. 

CAM and Refried Apparel will work in a lockstep in the complete workflow of gathering obsolete university apparel, from jerseys to sideline gear and upcycling it into fashionable wear. The upcycled products are sold back to the universities, fans, and alumni base, bridging the gap between school pride and sustainability. Additionally, the collaboration seeks to reduce landfill waste and conjure a new revenue source for athletic departments in the form of merchandise. 

Pat Flynn, founder of College Athletics Management, expressed tremendous support for the partnership with Refried Apparel.

“The deep experience CAM has in apparel and working with collegiate partners brings innovation and new revenue to athletic departments working on new apparel deals,” Flynn said. “We’re delivering to ADs a partner in Refried Apparel that will innovate with merch that would be heavily discounted and sold or discarded into something on trend, fashionable, and most importantly profitable, all while advancing sustainability in college sports.”

“Partnering with CAM allows us to scale our mission into college athletics after already having success in the collegiate sector, where sustainability is increasingly a priority,” said Mark Litos, co-founder of Refried Apparel. “We’re excited to help schools repurpose their athletic apparel into unique, sustainable fashion that fans will love, while generating new revenue and reducing environmental impact.”