US sportswear giant Nike has agreed a partnership with Xavier University Athletics to cover all sports in the National Collegiate Athletics Association Division One school’s programme.
The deal runs for five years from 2015 to 2020 and it designates Nike as the official footwear dealer and apparel provider of Xavier’s teams across 18 sports. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Xavier’s men’s basketball outfit has been a Nike programme since 2001 and the manufacturer has backed 15 of the past 18 national champions in men’s college basketball.
Nike enjoys a vast presence in US college sport, with 50 of the 68 schools in the men’s NCAA basketball tournament last year wearing its kit, while all four teams selected for January’s inaugural College Football Playoff were Nike programmes.
Xavier University athletic director Greg Christopher said: “Nike is the gold standard for footwear and apparel both in terms of quality and popularity. It is the clear industry leader and brand of choice for our fans, coaches, student-athletes and recruits. I am excited that we can unify our Xavier Athletics brand for all sports with Nike.”
Xavier University is located in Cincinnati, Ohio.