Grantham, PA — For the first time ever, Messiah athletics has jointly united with an official outfitter.
Beginning in the 2010-2011 academic year, Messiah will enter a three-year contract with Nike, bringing the world’s largest athletics outfitter to each of the Falcons’ 22 intercollegiate sports programs.
“This has been a long process, and we are excited about what Nike can bring to our department as a whole,” said Cory Furman, Messiah Assistant Athletics Director for Public Relations and Marketing. “With so many different sports involved, we were prudent in our research and entertained all options. In the end, however, Nike provided us with what we believed to be the best overall product and the best offer.”
The agreement — which utilizes Kelly’s Sports, Ltd. as the distributor — gives Nike the right to provide uniforms, apparel and footwear to all Messiah sports. Messiah, in turn, agrees to phase out uniforms and team apparel provided by other outfitters over the course of the initial agreement.
“Both Nike and Kelly’s Sports have combined to put forth a contract that greatly benefits our department,” Furman said. “In addition to our student-athletes wearing top-of-the-line equipment, we are entering into an extremely advantageous business agreement.”
Without question, Messiah’s successes at the national level played a part in landing the deal, as the Falcons’ men’s soccer team has won seven of the last 10 NCAA Division III National Championships, while the women’s soccer team has claimed three of the last five.
Add on a national championship in softball in 2009 and another six individual titles over the last 10 years, and Messiah has become one of the leaders in all of NCAA Division III athletics.
“I think our recent successes played a huge role in this,” Furman said. “Nike made it clear that this type of offer is not commonplace at the small college level.”
Messiah’s Campus Store followed with a similar deal of its own, signing on with Branded Custom Sportswear, Inc. — a Nike provider. The Campus Store will be discontinuing its Under Armour line in the fall of 2010, replacing those items with the Nike brand.
“We feel it’s important to collaborate with our athletics department,” said Aleisha Wildon, Campus Store Assistant Manager. “We want to supply a product that supports and reflects what our teams wear. We will be carrying a wider line of Nike products, and we’re excited about what they can provide.”
Furman said that the athletics department’s agreement with Nike will be reviewed prior to the conclusion of the three-year term. The deal took effect retroactively this summer, allowing Falcons’ teams to be outfitted in Nike gear prior to the start of the fall sports season.
“We feel that this agreement will further strengthen and unify our department,” Furman said. “It also meshes with our continual pursuit of athletic excellence. Our coaches and student-athletes strive to be the best, so naturally they should wear the best.”
Founded in 1972, Nike, Inc. is the world’s leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel. In 2009, the company reported a record revenue of $19.2 billion. Based in Beaverton, Oregon, Nike employs over 30,000 people throughout 160 countries, and cites a simple mission statement: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”