The Kansas City Chiefs are one win away from their third Super Bowl in four years. To reach Glendale, Arizona on February 12, they will have to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, against whom they have lost three times in 2022.
If the Chiefs break their streak, not only will they go to the Super Bowl, but fans will be able to get their hands on AFC Championship merchandise right after the clock hits all zeros.
Local sporting goods stores have confirmed they will have championship apparel on sale Sunday night, but only if the Chiefs are successful.
WHERE CAN I GET AFC LEAGUE CLOTHING?
Colin Novick, a media producer at Rally House, said these locations will be open if the game ends in a Chiefs victory:
Belton – 910 E. North Ave.
Boardwalk — 8650 N. Boardwalk Ave.
Independence – 18701 E. 39th St.
Legends — 1867 Village West Parkway
Liberty — 8570 N. Evanston Ave.
Mission — 6858 Johnson Drive
Oak Park — 9750 Quivira Rd
Olathe — 16485 W 119th St.
Plaza — 211 Nichols Road
Energy and Light — 181 E. 14th St.
Shawnee Station — 15420 Shawnee Mission Parkway
Summit Woods—1712 NW Chipman Road
Stanley Square — 8030 W. 151st St.
Downtown — 5219 W. 117th St.
Stores are open until the merchandise they have runs out or people stop coming in, whichever comes first. Novick said they will continue to order more merchandise and put it in every store over the next couple of weeks.
“It’s a pretty crazy time at Rally House right now,” Novick said. “We have a lot of stores in Cincinnati and Philadelphia as well. So, it’s pretty much the foot on the accelerator right now.
Novick said they process the pre-prints they receive from the NFL immediately and get the shirts, hats and other merchandise on the floor as soon as possible.
The four Academy Sports + Outdoors locations in Belton, Liberty, Olathe and Overland Park will also be open immediately after the game is over if the Chiefs win.
Tyler Sumrall, a senior public relations specialist at the firm, said it’s a fun opportunity to hang out with clients after the big win.
In a press release, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced that these Kansas City stores will also open their doors to fans if the Chiefs win Sunday night:
Independence Center — 18801 E. 39th St.
Freedom Triangle — 1890 College St.
Merriam Town Center — 5600 Antioch Road
Northridge Plaza – 15280 W. 119th St.
Summit Fair – 840 NW Blue Parkway
Downtown — 11801 Nall Ave.
Zona Rosa — 8665 NW Prairie View Road
Novick and Sumrall said it’s the same process for the Super Bowl. If the Chiefs defeat the Bengals and subsequently defeat the Eagles or 49ers in the title game, the same Rally House and Academy Sports stores will be open immediately after the game ends.
Sales associate Payton Rayos, left, had some help from Jade Williams, a manager in training, when she tried on the Chiefs’ red-lined zebra pants Tuesday at the Rally House Legends in Kansas City, Kansas. The $120 pants are a hot selling item in the store.
WHY DO THEY GET THE ITEMS EARLY IF IT IS NOT GUARANTEED?
Novick said that’s so stores can have merchandise available right away. They rush things to be as quick as possible to deliver gear to enthusiastic fans.
Both Novick and Sumrall have stressed that they don’t know what the goods look like. If the Chiefs win, they will open the boxes and set their sights on it for the first time.
For now, the T-shirts, hats and other accessories can be found at the bottom of the top shelf of their respective stores.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE GEAR IF IT LEAKS?
Rally House and Academy Sports send the losing team’s equipment back to suppliers — Nike and New Era — who help make the shirts and caps. Sumrall said Academy Sports has no say in what happens to the next equipment, so they don’t know where it goes.
Rally House partners with Fanatics and the NFL, who partner with Good360, a global nonprofit that helps distribute items to people in need. Romaine Seguin, chief executive officer of Good360, said they repurpose the losing team’s gear and are working with the NFL to donate it to countries outside of North America.
After the game, Seguin and his team immediately begin working with the NFL to figure out where they want to distribute their clothing.
Seguin doesn’t know which countries will end up with the losing team’s gear, but they have an internal vetting process with partners outside of the US that ensures the gear goes to a place that needs it.
“Whichever team doesn’t make it, the goods will go into the very best hands of need,” Seguin said.
