BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
If you are shopping for a t-shirt to show off your "Honey Badger" pride, you probably will not find it in stores.
LSU has issued a "cease and desist" to anyone selling stuff that associates the nickname with LSU football player, Tyrann Mathieu.
"Honey Badger" fever is spreading. One team merchandise store reported 22 people were waiting to buy a "Honey Badger" shirt as she opened her doors Monday morning. But, LSU compliance officers want merchants to know it is against NCAA regulations to sell such items and breaking those rules could hurt Mathieu.
"There's definitely a buzz about one of our players, the 'Honey Badger,'" Bengals and Bandits store manager Patrick Wilkerson said.
Wilkerson is referring to Mathieu. The popular No. 7 is known to run a punt back for a touchdown or strip the ball from someone and scoop it up the the Tigers. He is the talk of the turf. But, not everyone is happy with "Honey Badger" mania.
"We've been receiving so many notifications that there are 'Honey Badger' shirts out there," LSU compliance director Andrew Donovan said.
T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, all sorts of purple and gold accessories carrying the Honey Badger name and Mathieu's name started popping up in tents on roadsides and in online stores.
Fans have said, "The 'Honey Badger' takes what he wants." While that may be true, LSU has some concerns.
"What the NCAA told us is because it's so popular now, in terms of his nickname with his name, people will know that immediately," LSU compliance director Jayson Santos said.
LSU is sending out a "cease and desist" letter to let merchants know selling anything that bears a "Honey Badger" print and/or Mathieu's name, initials or jersey number "is in violation of NCAA bylaw 12.5 and could have a negative impact on the involved student-athlete's eligibility."
"If it has a No. 7 and 'Honey Badger,' we're going to take action on it. If it's a honey badger with just a football in its hands, we're not concerned about that," Santos added.
The same rules apply for the university's bookstore. Compliance directors hope vendors do what they say is the right thing to protect the "Honey Badger," his namesake and his football career. Wilkerson said you won't find it in his store.
LSU is citing NCAA regulations, not Louisiana law.
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