Pat yourself on the back, Ohio. The athletics department deal with Adidas is a home run.
Yes, the school had a good partnership with Russell Athletic for 10 years, but in terms of branding, that was just a way to find their own two feet. With Adidas, they can now start running.
In the world of sports marketing, it’s all about name recognition. Ohio has been a part of two huge moves to help with that. The first one being the Mid-American Conference’s deal with ESPN and the second being its new partnership with Adidas.
Ohio can now be seen more on the national stage.
Of course, the Bobcats will never be the Buckeyes. That’s not what the contract is about — and to even compare the two schools is unfair.
For Ohio, it’s not about becoming a national powerhouse. It’s about becoming a thriving contender.
And that’s where this Adidas deal will help.
The contract states that after Ohio purchases their $200,000 worth of gear from Adidas, the company will provide the athletic department with $600,000. That’s an important chunk of change for the athletic department, and that wasn’t the case with Russell.
With Russell, Ohio got gear at no cost worth just under $400,000. Not a shabby deal at all, but as Jerry Maguire says: “Show me the money!”
Adidas gives Ohio some extra cash in their pocket with the new deal, and with some performance-based incentives, maybe some more.
The incentives for football and men's basketball... pic.twitter.com/ufCfDyOwVA
— Ethan Felderstein (@efelderstein14) March 25, 2017
It’s just up to Ohio’s athletics department where Ohio will spend that money. Will it be with the Sook Center? What about renovations to Peden Stadium or The Convo? Maybe even adding an additional athletic program?
It’s silly to speculate, foolish even.
But, the biggest part, and the easiest to understand, of the deal is the three little stripes: the Adidas logo.
The Russell Athletic “R” is not a widely recognizable logo. Adidas is.
It’s worn by the NBA, Manchester United and even Kanye West. And Ohio hopes that it’ll be worn by recruits soon.
