From Court to Closet: UF Bookstore Scores Big for Fans

They say teamwork wins championships—but it also brings championship apparel to the fans. That’s where the UF Bookstore, located in the J. Wayne Reitz Union, shines. Collaborating with partners across campus and vendors across the country, the bookstore delivered all the gear Gator Nation needed to celebrate the men’s team’s 2025 NCAA National Championship win.

Getting that gear into the hands of fans, however, is no small feat.

Josh Pulver, Area Director for the UF Bookstore, said preparing for such a historic moment takes weeks—sometimes months—of planning and coordination. Working with internal partners like the University Athletic Association and UF’s Strategic Communications and Marketing team, Pulver’s team selects and designs merchandise well in advance. Once designs are finalized, they schedule deliveries and kick off marketing efforts to build excitement and awareness.

And sometimes, those marketing efforts require quick action.

On the night of the National Championship, the UF Bookstore sold merchandise at several pop-up locations across campus and Gainesville—including inside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center during the official watch party. Fans were thrilled when, immediately following the final buzzer, National Championship shirts were ready and available for purchase.

“For us, it was about a strong belief in the team—but more importantly, we wanted to capture the immediacy of the moment and the excitement of the win,” said Pulver.

That immediacy, backed by detailed planning, paid off. The bookstore saw a major spike in foot traffic at the Reitz Union and strong community engagement.

“This is what you do it for,” Pulver said. “It’s been such a joy to see our planning come to life and to share this celebration with the UF and Gainesville communities.”