Class Board 2026 is facing criticism from students after a series of issues with the distribution of P-Sweaters — a Penn tradition that occurs at the end of junior year — including unexpected brand changes, embroidery errors, and delayed refunds.
The controversy began earlier this semester when students discovered that the P-Sweaters were manufactured by Gildan, rather than Champion, the brand originally advertised by the class board and offered on the order form. Many expressed frustration, citing both the lack of prior communication and the perceived downgrade in quality.
“When I got it, I was a little bit disappointed,” one junior — who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation — told The Daily Pennsylvanian. “The quality wasn't really what I was expecting it to be. I didn't go try it on, so I didn't know how they were supposed to be, but it felt kind of cheap, and I expected it to be better for the price that we were paying for it.”
In an email sent to the Class of 2026 on April 18, Wharton junior and Class Board 2026 President Vedika Jawa apologized for the change in brand, acknowledging that the sweaters were “not as expected or advertised” and admitting that the mistake was “completely on us.”
“I am truly very, very sorry,” Jawa wrote. “There were some things that were genuinely out of our control, but my biggest mistake was not keeping our class in the loop and communicating that through.”
According to Jawa, the class board placed the initial P-Sweater order in January, operating under the assumption that the Champion brand was available. In February, they were informed that Champion products were unavailable across University-approved vendors, and an uncertain restock date was projected for mid-April.
Jawa wrote that the lack of availability of the Champion stock “was not communicated to us until we reached out for a status update.”
Faced with the possibility that sweaters would not arrive until senior fall, the class board decided to “immediately [begin] looking for alternatives,” according to the email.
“We spent time debating what we thought mattered most to our class and ultimately felt that receiving a P-Sweater this Spring, one that marked our class and upheld the tradition, was more meaningful than the brand itself,” Jawa explained in the email.
Jawa acknowledged that the class board underestimated how important the Champion brand was to many students.
“We didn’t realize how strongly some people felt about Champion or how much it factored into their decision to purchase a sweater,” she wrote. “That was a huge oversight on our part.”
One junior — who chose to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation — explained that they felt frustrated by the handling of the situation.
“I think the lack of transparency is what is making the situation a lot worse,” the student wrote in a statement to the DP. “I personally think the board should issue refunds to make up for the difference of the two brands.”
“As mentioned in our most recent email, we understand everyone’s concerns and are in the process of finalizing a solution,” Jawa wrote in a statement to the DP on behalf of the class board. “We will update the Class of 2026 as soon as the solution is confirmed.”
In her initial email, Jawa emphasized that reordering Champion sweatshirts was not “feasible at this point,” citing financial constraints. Her email explained that “P-Sweater sales are our primary source of funding for Feb Club,” a longstanding tradition of daily social events for seniors in the month of February, and that reordering would deplete the budget needed for those events. The class board instead offered students the option of returning their unworn sweaters for a full refund during distribution on April 25.
The message also clarified that the class board is “not profiting” off the merchandise sales, noting that “every dollar goes back into programming for the class.” Jawa also emphasized that the class board’s ultimate goal has been “to make sure this wonderful tradition continues” and that the Class of 2026 “has a memorable keepsake to take away from their time at Penn.”
However, in an additional email sent on April 24, Jawa wrote that the class board was “in the final stages of discussions with OSA, Penn Licensing, and a new vendor to place a full order of Champion sweaters, which would arrive in the Fall.” She added that the class board has been “working … to find a financially feasible option that will get everyone P-Sweaters, while also setting us up well for senior year.”
The student, however, remains skeptical of the board's handling of the situation.
“I'm glad that they're trying to make up for it and at least trying to get better quality [now],” they said. “But I felt like the whole process and the communication was a little bit messy.”
Adding to the turmoil, students who ordered white P-Sweaters learned that their sweaters were incorrectly embroidered “with a red ‘P’ instead of the usual blue ‘P’ with red trim,” in an email sent on April 17. The message explained that while the vendor is in the process of sending corrected versions, they will not arrive before the end of this semester and will instead “be distributed at the beginning of Senior Fall.”
Students who ordered white sweaters were told they could pick up the misprinted version for free and collect the correct sweater in the fall. Distribution began on April 18 at Houston Hall and continued on April 25.
In the follow-up communication on April 24, Class Board 2026 announced that refund processing for sweaters returned on April 25 would be temporarily paused.
“Before moving forward with refunds, we want to make sure everyone has a clear understanding of all the options available,” the message read.
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