If the Chiefs defeat the Bengals on Sunday, here’s where you can buy AFC title merch

Joseph Hernandez
·4 min read
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The Kansas City Chiefs are one win away from their third Super Bowl in four years. In order to reach Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12, they will have to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, who they lost to three times in 2022.

If the Chiefs break the streak, not only are they off to the Super Bowl, but fans can get their hands on AFC Championship merchandise immediately after the clock shows all zeroes.

Local sporting goods shops confirmed that they will have championship gear available for sale Sunday night, but only if the Chiefs are successful.

WHERE CAN I GET AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GEAR?

Colin Novick, a media producer with Rally House, said these locations will be open if the game ends with 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 Road

▪ Olathe — 16485 W 119th St.

▪ Plaza — 211 Nichols Road

▪ Power & Light — 181 E. 14th St.

▪ Shawnee Station — 15420 Shawnee Mission Parkway

▪ Summit Woods — 1712 N.W. Chipman Road

▪ Stanley Square — 8030 W. 151st St.

▪ Town Center — 5219 W. 117th St.

The stores are open until the merchandise they have sells out or if people stop coming in, whichever happens first. Novick said they’ll 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’ve got a bunch of stores in Cincinnati and Philadelphia, too. So, it’s pretty much foot on the gas right now.”

Novick said they immediately process the pre-prints they receive from the NFL and get the shirts, hats and other merchandise on the sales floor as soon as possible.

Academy Sports + Outdoors’ four locations in Belton, Liberty, Olathe and Overland Park will also be open immediately after the game ends if the Chiefs win.

Tyler Sumrall, a senior public relations specialist with the company, said it’s a fun opportunity to hang out with the customers after the big win.

In a press release, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced that these stores in Kansas City will also open their doors for fans if the Chiefs win on Sunday night:

▪ Independence Center — 18801 E. 39th St.

▪ Liberty Triangle — 1890 College St.

▪ Merriam Town Center — 5600 Antioch Road

▪ Northridge Plaza - 15280 W. 119th St.

▪ Summit Fair - 840 N.W. Blue Parkway

▪ Town Center — 11801 Nall Ave.

▪ Zona Rosa — 8665 N.W. Prairie View Road

Novick and Sumrall said it’s the same process for the Super Bowl. If the Chiefs defeat the Bengals and later defeat either the Eagles or the 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 help from Jade Williams, a manager in training, when she tried on the Chiefs red lined zebra pants on Tuesday at Rally House Legends in Kansas City, Kansas. The $120 pants are a hot-selling item at the store.
Sales associate Payton Rayos, left, had help from Jade Williams, a manager in training, when she tried on the Chiefs red lined zebra pants on Tuesday at Rally House Legends in Kansas City, Kansas. The $120 pants are a hot-selling item at the store.

WHY DO THEY RECEIVE ITEMS EARLY IF IT’S NOT GUARANTEED?

Novick said that it’s so the stores can have merchandise available right away. They rush things to be as fast as possible to provide gear for excited fans.

Both Novick and Sumrall emphasized that they don’t know what the merchandise looks like. If the Chiefs win, they will open the boxes and for the first time get their eyes on it.

For now, the shirts, hats and other accessories are sitting in the back on the highest shelf of their respective stores.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE GEAR IF THEY LOSE?

Rally House and Academy Sports send the losing team’s gear back to the vendors — Nike and New Era — who help produce the shirts and hats. Sumrall said that Academy Sports doesn’t have a say in what happens to the gear next, so they don’t know where it ends up.

Rally House partners with Fanatics and the NFL, who work with Good360, a global nonprofit that helps distribute items to people in need. Romaine Seguin, the chief executive officer of Good360, said they repurpose the losing team’s gear and work with the NFL on donating it to countries outside of North America.

Once the game is over, Seguin and her team immediately start their work with the NFL to figure out where they want to distribute their clothing.

Seguin doesn’t know what countries end up with the losing team’s gear, but they have an internal vetting process with partners outside the United States that ensures the clothing is going to a place that needs it.

“Whatever team doesn’t make it, the merchandise is going to go into great hands of need,” Seguin said.