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PROVO — Death. Taxes. BYU with the Swoosh.
Some things are just automatic, it seems.
The school and athletic distributor re-committed to one of the longest relationships in college sports Friday, signing a seven-year contract for Nike to supply the Cougars with all sports-related footwear, apparel and equipment through the 2025-26 school year.
The new deal doubles the value of BYU’s previous agreement with Nike and includes cash compensation for all BYU athletic programs. Nike will also introduce a new royalty rate for the Cougars for all products sold in its stores, increasing revenue for an athletic program with annual revenue as high as $10 million per year, according to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Education.
The duo first came together on a partnership in the late 1970s, a result of a friendship between legendary BYU football coach LaVell Edwards, Nike executive Bill Kellar and Nike co-founder Phil Knight.
Since that time, the two have been virtually inseparable, and BYU has helped propel Nike to a position in the sporting landscape that has it operating as one of the most well-recognized in the world.
“One of my fondest memories as a player, coach and administrator at BYU is our long-standing, great relationship with Nike,” BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said in a statement. “From the very start — when LaVell Edwards and Phil Knight became friends in the late 70s — to the present time, Nike has been a wonderful partner.”
It’s about more than a business deal, though, according to Knight, the multibillion-dollar figure and current chairman emeritus of Nike.
“We’ve had a relationship with BYU for nearly 40 years now,” he said. “We don’t have a better relationship in the country than the one we have with BYU.
“We are very proud of it. We love the relationship with the program.”
Nike executives credit BYU with expanding its brand into all areas of sports, and BYU credits the supplier with starting a contracted trend that now ranks in the millions of dollars at universities and athletic programs across the country.
In 1996, Nike was a first-year supplier of the NFL — but it was already expanding into college football uniforms, with BYU as its first subject. Led by quarterback Steve Sarkisian, that Cougar squad went 14-1 and finished the season ranked No. 5 in both major polls.
By 1999, every program on campus was being enrolled in the Nike Elite program, and within 10 years, BYU became an all-Nike school.
“Everyone loves the Nike brand — student-athletes, coaches and recruits,” BYU football coach Kalani Sitake said. “It’s a big deal to have Nike as our partner, providing our players with the best technology available in footwear, apparel and equipment.
“Being outfitted from head-to-toe by the top brand in the world is very important to us. Nike has been an amazing partner of BYU football for more than 40 years.”
