College Sports: Look What's New for Big 12, SEC & Pac 10

Watch out college sports, a new kid is in town. Are we talking about a new player, a new sport or what? No, we are talking about the newest sports souvenir to hit the market. Go to your grave rooting for your team. Vaultless Casket Co. in Chickasha, Oklahoma, now offers college-themed caskets. These caskets represent the Southeastern Conference, all the Big 12 schools except Texas and most Pac 10 colleges.

Vaultless Casket Co. is the exclusive manufacturer of the Collegiate Memorial Casket line. On February 1, the first state college casket came out of manufacturing. It is an Oklahoma University themed casket in the crimson and cream colors of OU. From the photo of this casket, it looks just perfect for a die-hard OU fan.

The company founder, J.D. Field, said to look for more of these state-themed models soon. Mr. Field says the demand is huge. Right now, the biggest seller in this part of the country is Nebraska but he predicts OU and OSU models will become popular as well.

What's really surprising is these caskets actually reduce costs compared to other caskets. Mr. Field experimented until he came up with a casket that does not require an exterior vault. It is a casket and a vault combined into one product and looks like a casket. It is totally sealed. This saves customers $800 to $15,000 toward funeral costs.

On March 1, the company began daily operations. They also offer themed grave markers and cremation urns. Mr. Field says the company is positioning itself to expand but that for now, the focus is the on college-themed caskets. Mr. Field is already working with Chickasha city leaders to build a new, larger building to accommodate growth in the next year.

It looks like college sports caskets has a new supporter too. According to Dr. Terry Eagan, a psychiatrist with Moonview Sanctuary, these products help people talk about death. And the more people are open and can speak about it, the easier it is to face it which is a good thing. He says they are able to focus on something beside just the sadness of the loss. They are reminded of the good times too.

When our die-hard OU fan passed a few years ago, it would have brought us great joy to have the opportunity to have one of these caskets. As it was, we filled the casket with OU souvenirs. It brought smiles and giggles all around. We knew our family member would have approved. Although death is something most of us aren't comfortable talking about, this new line of college sports products might help to ease the pain. It makes it just a little easier to remember the things that brought happiness to our loved ones. It looks like die-hard fans now have a way to continue college rivalry.

Sources:
http://moonviewsanctuary.com/staff
http://www.chickashanews.com/local/local_story_055131133.html
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2008/06/die-hard-sports.html