People arenâÂÂt dying to buy Jayhawk caskets – at least not yet.

But the president of Collegiate Memorials is trying to change that.

The Macon, Ga., company, which builds caskets featuring the logos of 50 universities, is set to begin marketing its Kansas University model next year, President Scott Walston said.

âÂÂPersonalizing is an important aspect of the funeral home industry,â Walston said. âÂÂWe see a lot of college loyalty.âÂÂ

Collegiate Memorials has had rights to the KU and Jayhawk logos for about a year, but it didnâÂÂt sell its first KU casket until this week. Bart Yost, co-owner of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home in Lawrence, decided to order a display model after hearing about the caskets from the Journal-World.

âÂÂWeâÂÂve never had anyone ask about that,â Yost said. âÂÂItâÂÂs just another choice. I canâÂÂt see what theyâÂÂd find offensive.âÂÂ

KU receives royalties of 8 percent âÂÂ:quot; between $127 and $191 âÂÂ:quot; on any casket sales, said Paul Vander Tuig, KUâÂÂs director of trademark licensing. The caskets, with KU sewn into the velvet interior of the casket lid, range in price from $1,590 to $2,390.

âÂÂThere hasnâÂÂt been a lot of marketing of that particular product,â Vander Tuig said. âÂÂItâÂÂs not going to kick us into a new income tax bracket.âÂÂ

Walston said the caskets were about $300 more than comparable caskets without university insignias.

âÂÂThe moneyâÂÂs going to be spent anyway,â he said. âÂÂWhy not send it back to your school?âÂÂ

He said the biggest seller was the University of Nebraska casket, with 50 sold. He thinks KUâÂÂs basketball tradition could give the Jayhawk model comparable success.

Walston said his company also would have a marketing push to funeral directors in Texas, Mississippi and Missouri next year. TheyâÂÂre in negotiations with Kansas State University for a Wildcat casket.

Walston said many children ordered university caskets for their parents, then signed up for one themselves.

âÂÂOur concept is really about how a college education has contributed to a personâÂÂs life goals and life achievements,â he said. âÂÂWe have tremendous respect for the integrity of the school. We do it tastefully. We donâÂÂt do anything outlandish.âÂÂ

Yost said he thought the Jayhawk caskets could find a market in Lawrence.

âÂÂIt wouldnâÂÂt even have to be a big sports fan,â he said. âÂÂIt could just be someone who likes KU for whatever reason. You just never know until you try.âÂÂ