Following the bowl ban lift, students could be seen celebrating in Penn State apparel — some a T-shirt issued by The Family Clothesline displaying the phrase, “We’re Back.”

The shirts were printed and sent to the store as soon as the news broke. The phrase was painted on the store window.

Caroline Gummo, apparel buyer of The Family Clothesline, said the design was approved back in 2005 by Penn State Licensing.

However, a few days after the shirts sold in the store after the bowl ban lifted, restoring all 85 scholarships by 2015-16 and lifting the postseason bowl band, Penn State Licensing contacted the store and said it was no longer interested in the design and wanted the shirts removed, Gummo said.

While Gummo said she does not know the specific reason why Penn State Licensing recalled the shirts, The Family Clothesline had to follow its wishes. Anytime a shirt has a Penn State logo on it, the design must be approved by Penn State Licensing, she said.

The Family Clothesline did not follow the licensing guidelines, Penn State’s spokeswoman Lisa Powers said via email. Designs must be reviewed during the term of manufacturers’ agreement, Powers said.

“We certainly want the opportunity to look at how our trademarks and name continue to be used to ensure they are in line with our current marketing efforts,” Powers said.

Gummo said she and other employees were surprised by Penn State Licensing’s response, especially since the shirt design was already approved.

“We felt the shirt really captured the mood and atmosphere through the community,” Gummo said. “People felt it was the right response too.”

Even though the T-shirts were not in the store long, Gummo said they were very popular. Students could be seen wearing the shirts around campus and also at the rally that took place Sept. 8 on Beaver Avenue.

Alex Crowe (freshman-public relations) also expressed his confusion about the situation.

“We were just showing our support,” Crowe said. “We never really left.”

Back in 2011, when the sanctions were first announced, The Family Clothesline printed T-shirts with phrases like “We Are… Pissed Off.” Because those shirts did not have any Penn State logos on them, Penn State Licensing did not have any influence over them, Gummo said.