When Randy Policar returned to Sun Devil Athletics in January 2026, one of his first projects took him into the former football locker room and equipment area.
What he discovered was thousands of game-used football jerseys dating back more than a decade. The jerseys were headed for surplus, but Policar, assistant director of Sun Devil Tradition and Growth, saw them differently.
“Jerseys aren’t surplus; they’re one-of-one,” Policar said. “As somebody who was a student and then a fan, I always wondered, ‘How could I get on-field stuff?’ It was never really made available.”
Instead of leaving pieces of Sun Devil history in storage, collecting dust, Policar found a way to put them directly into the hands of those who would appreciate them most.
Thus, Sun Devil Authentics was born.
Turning surplus into something special
The Sun Devil Authentics mystery bags made their debut at Sun Devil Football's game against Baylor, with each bag containing a game-used jersey. Some also included surprise inserts, autographed items or a golden ticket redeemable for an additional prize.
For the first sale, Policar prepared 100 bags. They sold out in 45 minutes.
He doubled the inventory for the second sale ahead of Sun Devil Football’s game against Hawaii. Once again, the bags sold out in 45 minutes.
Some customers from the first sale were among the first people in line for the second.
“They wanted to do it again,” Policar said. “That’s why we didn’t do it at every game. I wanted to make sure there was still some mystery around it.”
The available jerseys have included those worn by former Sun Devils who went on to play in the NFL. During the first sale, one fan found a golden ticket for a Sun Devil football helmet inside his bag.
“You never know what I might throw in there,” Policar said. “That’s the mystery of it.”
Preserving the mystery
Policar personally assembles every bag, splitting the process over multiple days so that even he cannot remember which jersey or prize is in each one.
“I’ll stuff them one day, and then I’ll put them where they’re going to go the next day, so I have no idea what is in what bag,” Policar said. “I want it to be truly random. The autographed items or the certificates for prizes could be anywhere.”
Every jersey is washed before it reaches him, and each item is inspected before being offered for sale.
“I want it to be a collector’s piece or something they can wear,” Policar said. “It’s not going to be torn up. It’s not going to have a number falling off. I won’t put one in there if it’s in really bad shape.”
That attention to detail has helped the sales grow beyond football. Sun Devil Authentics brought its first basketball mystery bags to the Sun Devil Basketball Block Party, where fans could purchase game-used jerseys from the men’s and women’s programs.
Sam Gregory, a season ticket holder for both men’s and women's basketball, was one of the fans at the Block Party who bought a mystery bag.
Serendipitous as it is, Gregory had seen friends share their football mystery-bag experience on TikTok. When Gregory discovered Sun Devil Authentics at the Block Party, he immediately wanted a piece of his own.
“They enjoyed the experience and liked having an authentic piece of ASU gear,” Gregory said. “When I saw it here, I thought, ‘Oh, shoot, I have to go check that out.’ I can own a piece of gear myself.”
Gregory walked away with a McKinna Brackens jersey and even more excitement for the coming season.
“There’s a lot of energy and a lot of good vibes entering the year,” Gregory said. “There’s a new coach for the men, and the women’s team made the Tournament last year. I’m excited to see how the year goes.”
Joseph Delfs and his son purchased Mystery Bags at Sun Devil Basketball's Block Party and found a golden ticket, good for an autographed Randy Bennett basketball.
A golden surprise
For Joseph Delfs, the Block Party brought another kind of surprise.
Delfs and his family had previously purchased mystery bags at a Sun Devil Football game. When they learned basketball mystery bags would be available at the Block Party, they headed directly to the Sun Devil Authentics table.
Inside one of their bags was a golden ticket for a basketball, signed by men’s basketball Head Coach Randy Bennett.
“We’re big collectors, especially of ASU and the other sports teams we like,” Delfs said. “It’s pretty cool that the items are game-used or player-used. That makes them even more special.”
Better yet, the unknown is part of the fun.
“We always like the mystery bags because you never know what you’re going to get,” Delfs said. “It’s always going to be something cool.”
Bringing fans closer to the action
Policar understands the appeal because he is a Sun Devil for Life.
He began working in ASU’s sports information office as a freshman in 1998 and remained there until graduating in 2002. After three years overseeing public relations for the Arizona Rattlers, he returned to ASU in 2005 and served as a sports information director for baseball, football and volleyball until 2011.
Now, his role allows him to help preserve Sun Devil history while sharing it with the community that means so much to him.
“It brings people closer to the action,” Policar said. “A team shirt is awesome, and that’s what most regular fans want. But if you’re a true die-hard, you want something you can frame on your wall. You want to wear a hockey jersey that a player wore on the ice.
“There’s something about having what the players had and being able to say, ‘This came right off the court, the field or the ice.’ It’s that unique thing that fans have never really been offered before, at least not like this.”
Policar also wants the sales to include affordable options for younger fans and families. At the Basketball Block Party, reversible practice jerseys were available for $10 alongside the higher-priced mystery bags.
“Fifty dollars is a lot of money for people,” Policar said. “If a little kid comes up and wants a bag, but the parents don’t want to spend that much without knowing what they’re going to get, there’s a $10 basketball jersey they can wear and be happy with. I always want to have an option. I don’t want a kid to feel disappointed that he or she couldn’t get something cool.”
Sun Devil Authentics plans to continue experimenting with sales for men’s and women’s basketball, hockey, baseball and softball. The current stockpile will eventually run out, but newer team-issued items will continue becoming available. Future offerings could range from jerseys and pucks to sticks and other unique pieces of Sun Devil history.
The inventory may change, but the premise will remain the same: Every item is authentic, every purchase supports a Sun Devil program, and every mystery bag offers fans an opportunity to take home something that cannot be found anywhere else.
After all, jerseys are not surplus.
They are one-of-one.