Syracuse University has agreed a multi-year extension to its kit partnership with Nike – an association that has spanned more than three decades.
Under the deal, Nike will continue to provide athletic footwear, apparel and equipment to Syracuse’s student-athletes and coaches.
Syracuse’s partnership with Nike started in 1982-83 with the men’s basketball program. The American football team started wearing Nike footwear in 1991, and the men’s basketball, football and men’s lacrosse teams have worn Nike uniforms since the mid-90s. The remainder of Syracuse’s teams started wearing Nike footwear, uniforms and apparel beginning in 2002-03.
Terms of the new contract were not disclosed, but Nike will provide increased royalty revenue for all licensed products, performance-based bonuses, and base cash compensation.
The agreement also includes the creation of the Nike experiential learning internship program that will provide opportunities for Syracuse students to work at Nike headquarters each summer.
While not commenting on terms, director of athletics John Wildhack said the new agreement is shorter in length than other recent high-profile deals in college sport.
“A lot of these deals now, you see other schools six to 15 years,” Wildhack said, according to Syracuse.com. “It’s a shorter term than that. In terms of value, the value is really focused on the product. We want to outfit all 20 of our teams in the best gear possible, which we are, to make their experience better as student-athletes.”
Wildhack added that Syracuse partly opted for a shorter agreement due to college football being primarily responsible for lucrative deals.
“I think one of the things that will help us in the future is we need to maintain our success in football,” Wildhack said. “If we do, that drives the value for the apparel company. In this sense, I think we are better served by a shorter deal.”