04/20/2026
A hot-selling apparel brand started by SUNY Cortland alumni made its debut at the university’s Campus Store in early April.
And to be expected, GOAT USA merchandise is living up to its name as the Greatest of All Time.
The national brand is particularly popular among Generation Z, with a core teen fanbase. Exclusive Cortland-branded GOAT USA T-shirts have already sold out of adult sizes. Youth sizes are still available.
“We are working on a reorder right now,” said Kimberly Boyce ’22, operations manager for the Campus Store. “Both us and GOAT USA did not expect to have such a large demand so quickly, so we are working to get the current tee back in stock.”
The university is looking to bring in other items like hooded sweatshirts this summer, Boyce said.
Founders Rich Alfaro ’16, T.J. Cristina ’15 and Dylan McLaughlin ’15 were finishing their time at Cortland when GOAT as a term was becoming well-known.
“Iconic athletes like Serena Williams, LeBron James and Tom Brady were dominating their sports, and the term had transcended athletics to become part of everyday conversation,” McLaughlin said. “One day, while talking with friends, we realized there was an opportunity to create something meaningful around the ‘GOAT’ concept — a brand that celebrated greatness in all forms.”
To the three friends, it was apparent that the phrase was more than just another entry in the odd and winding annals of pop culture. It was a chance to be at the front of a potentially lucrative trend.
That was all it took for them to begin their plans. But first, they tested their idea by selling beer-related T-shirts after graduation. It was a small operation, but confirmed the potential of their “Make a cool T-shirt, Sell a cool T-shirt” concept.
It was also when they developed the outgoing sales style that’s served them so well. Once GOAT USA was established, they did what they could to have a direct line to customers at street fairs, sport events, concerts and any other spot that looked perfect for a pop-up shop.
“It was a simple, hands-on approach, but it worked,” Cristina said. “This method would later become the foundation for how we launched GOAT USA — connecting directly with people and bringing the brand to life through personal interactions.”
After the three entrepreneurs graduated, the company was officially incorporated in June 2016, with Cristina heading sales, Alfaro managing operations and McLaughlin as the creative leader. Their strengths came together through a joint belief in their abilities and a friendship that began in high school on Long Island.
They first met each other when their schools combined football programs, making them teammates. When it came time for college, they all — unknown to each other — chose SUNY Cortland. What was a casual friendship on Long Island grew stronger when McLaughlin and Cristina were by chance assigned residence hall rooms next to each other on the first floor of DeGroat Hall.
It’s a bond that served them well as they traveled the country with a small group of friends and family to spread the word about GOAT USA. The trio spent about 40 full weekends traveling through 2020, along with their other work for the company.
“For the better part of five years, we met countless incredible people who supported us in every corner of the country,” said Cristina. “We brought a positive, fun-loving energy wherever we went, and it was incredibly rewarding to see our brand concept so warmly received.”
“Our travels were filled with amazing stories and unforgettable experiences,” said Alfaro. “ ... We hold a deep fondness for the many families we met and the cool cities we explored. These connections became the heart and soul of building GOAT USA into what it is today.”
Of course, you can have a stellar product but, unless people remember it, surplus builds fast. Before the friends began their first sales tour, they knew they had to develop a brand with iconic imagery. Enter Chuck the GOAT.
The sunglass-wearing mascot became an effective logo for their products, conveying the positive, fun and confident energy behind their brand to potential customers. Now, Chuck is as likely to be found on a shirt in Kansas City as on a swimsuit in San Diego.
“GOAT USA was fortunate that our concept was immediately well-received by a community of strangers,” McLaughlin said.
Their first sale from a stranger was a navy blue long-sleeve shirt the morning of their first pop-up shop. Momentum grew quickly, with early success meaning the startup has never had debt — an uncommon boost that helped GOAT USA expand faster.
Their first sense of truly making it, however, was when Dick’s Sporting Goods reached out to them. A partnership with the retail giant founded in nearby Binghamton, N.Y., had once been an aspirational goal for the trio. With a phone call, their product line was backed by a company with more than 700 stores.
As growth continues, don’t expect Cristina, Alfaro and McLaughlin to relax anytime soon. The boys from DeGroat know true GOATs never rest.
“We’re just getting started,” Alfaro said. “While we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, we’re not overly impressed. There’s still so much work to be done, and we’re ready to keep pushing forward.”