Proposal would place all sports apparel under one company
Under this proposed amalgamation, manufacturing individual team jerseys would be easier, cheaper
By: Joseph Russell
Issue date: 7/18/08 Section: Sports
For the fan looking to receive the most authentic replica jersey of their favorite player, a new all-sports apparel deal might put the possibility on the shelves.
By having separate deals in place with separate companies, The University of Memphis is unable to sell jerseys with nothing more than "Memphis" across the front.
U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson announced last week that The University would be sending out requests for proposals to various sports apparel companies - including adidas/Taylomade, Nike and Under Armour - to unite every sports program under one company.
This deal would allow fans to buy an exact replica of Tigers jerseys - both basketball and football.
In addition to putting better merchandise on the shelves, creating a deal with a single company to outfit all of the teams eliminates several problems the athletic department currently has to face with a recent $500,000 budget cut due to cuts in spending in higher education.
Now smaller teams without lucrative contracts to big-name companies can afford uniforms without having to take money from elsewhere in their program.
Currently the men's basketball team is outfitted by Adidas and the football team by Nike, but a deal with a single company would unite them under a "blanket" apparel sponsorship, Johnson said.
A deal with a single company for apparel, would make outfitting each team easier and more cost-efficient, Johnson said.
With the proposals sent, Johnson said he hopes to receive a bid by mid-August. Even though some teams have already sent their orders for apparel from various companies, a deal unifying each team would take effect immediately.
The success of the men's basketball team last year brought about much publicity for The U of M, which Johnson said he hopes will attract big-name companies to offer better bids.
"We're a hot item right now," Johnson said. "We're winning in a lot of our sports and we're on TV a lot."
By having separate deals in place with separate companies, The University of Memphis is unable to sell jerseys with nothing more than "Memphis" across the front.
U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson announced last week that The University would be sending out requests for proposals to various sports apparel companies - including adidas/Taylomade, Nike and Under Armour - to unite every sports program under one company.
This deal would allow fans to buy an exact replica of Tigers jerseys - both basketball and football.
In addition to putting better merchandise on the shelves, creating a deal with a single company to outfit all of the teams eliminates several problems the athletic department currently has to face with a recent $500,000 budget cut due to cuts in spending in higher education.
Now smaller teams without lucrative contracts to big-name companies can afford uniforms without having to take money from elsewhere in their program.
Currently the men's basketball team is outfitted by Adidas and the football team by Nike, but a deal with a single company would unite them under a "blanket" apparel sponsorship, Johnson said.
A deal with a single company for apparel, would make outfitting each team easier and more cost-efficient, Johnson said.
With the proposals sent, Johnson said he hopes to receive a bid by mid-August. Even though some teams have already sent their orders for apparel from various companies, a deal unifying each team would take effect immediately.
The success of the men's basketball team last year brought about much publicity for The U of M, which Johnson said he hopes will attract big-name companies to offer better bids.
"We're a hot item right now," Johnson said. "We're winning in a lot of our sports and we're on TV a lot."