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| 08-02-2002 | Previous edition: 07-31-2002 |
        
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Printer-friendly version Nike agreement clothes athletes in new apparelBy Jason TomcsiSummer Reporter The new football jerseys revealed on Wednesday are just one part of a new deal that will soon be finalized between Purdue and Nike. Three sports, football and men's and women's basketball, will get head-to-toe deals with Nike, meaning the company will outfit the team in everything from uniforms to shoes. "We do have an agreement with Nike at this point," said marketing director Bob Bernard. "It is a handshake agreement at this point in time. Basically the scope of the agreement we are working towards is a head-to-toe deal for the football and men's and women's basketball programs and also products for other sports teams as well." According to Bernard and athletic director Morgan Burke, every team at Purdue will have some access to Nike products and since only three teams are exclusively Nike, it is a flexible deal. "If we want to put our softball team in a different uniform we have the ability to do that," said Burke. "Now whether we would do that, we would have to look at the economics." "I think it is important because it is really the best of both worlds," said Bernard. "That is because each sport is going to be appropriated some Nike product, but there is always the situation that if for some reason they have trouble shipping something for swimming or something for softball we have that flexibility of getting something else, where that can be a real challenge sometimes if you had to deal with everybody." The athletic department has had an agreement with Nike since 1995 and up until June 30 the deal strictly covered footwear. But the new deal which is expected to be wrapped up in the next 60 days, will be broaden to include apparel as well. Men's basketball coach Gene Keady has had an agreement with Nike for over 20 years. Burke hopes the new deal will bring a common look for the Purdue teams that Champion, the company that previously made Purdue's uniforms, was sometimes unable to do. "Nike will continue to work with us and do some of the design work on uniforms and equipment and give you a solid look," said Burke. "With Champion some of the things we were asking them to make wasn't part of their normal business, so they would sell it out to somebody. It would come back and it wouldn't really look right. So we said give us the workout gear. Give us the blank, the grays and stencil on the Purdue stuff and we'll be content." Burke said Nike has been good to work, but he was not sure if head to toe deals for all sports would be something that will happen. "I don't know whether you want to have all you eggs in one basket.," said Burke. "That is why I really liked our arrangement with Nike and Champion. Because if you get such a big contract with one person, then if we are coming up a little short or if they are, you get leverage a little bit. The ability to be a major customer if not maybe as big, gives you a little more mobility. So I don't know if we will ever do that and I don't know if they will ever want to do that." Printer-friendly version |
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