Nov. 18, 2015
RUSTON, La. - Louisiana Tech University Athletics has partnered with adidas America, Inc. to establish a 5-year exclusive agreement that will outfit Louisiana Tech's 16 NCAA men's and women's programs in adidas uniforms, apparel, footwear and equipment through the 2020-2021 athletics season.
Tommy McClelland, director of athletics for Louisiana Tech, made the announcement today via video distributed through the Louisiana Tech Athletics website and social media. Effective July 1, 2016 adidas will serve as the exclusive supplier for Louisiana Tech athletics uniforms, apparel, shoes and other footwear, and athletic accessories for all Bulldog and Lady Techster teams, with the exception of the Lady Techster basketball program, which will join the adidas partnership in 2017. adidas will also outfit athletic support and program personnel, and will provide a normalized recurring source of self-generated revenue for Louisiana Tech Athletics.
"I am very excited for our student-athletes, coaches and our fans as we begin this new partnership with adidas," said McClelland. "Each day, we focus on ways to enhance the student-athlete experience on our campus. This is a perfect example of being able to provide more for our student-athletes while at the same time create cost savings to the overall budget."
"We're looking forward to our new partnership with Louisiana Tech University," said Jim Murphy, Director of NCAA Sports Marketing for adidas America. "Our mission is to help athletes perform better and over the next five years we'll look to help the Bulldogs continue their winning tradition by outfitting student-athletes in our newest and most innovative footwear, apparel and uniforms."
After soliciting and reviewing proposals from several of the world's top athletic apparel and equipment companies, Louisiana Tech selected adidas who will partner with the university's athletics department in a variety of marketing, branding and merchandising activities. adidas is the official uniform, footwear and apparel provider for more than 100 collegiate programs and Louisiana Tech joins some of the nation's top intercollegiate athletics programs who have partnered with adidas, including Arizona State, Indiana, Kansas, Louisville, Miami, Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Texas A&M and UCLA.
"Louisiana Tech already has a strong national brand, but partnering with a global leader like adidas will allow us to further enhance our brand, and brand consistency across all sports," McClelland said. "It became very apparent throughout the process that adidas recognized the value of Louisiana Tech's national brand and they were aggressive in their pursuit to partner with us. We now have one of the best apparel deals of any mid-major program."
adidas is a global designer, developer and marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories with the mission to make all athletes better. As innovation and design leaders, adidas engineers the best in high-performance products. adidas has marketing agreements with the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB) and Major League Soccer (MLS).
What Louisiana Tech coaches are saying about the partnership with adidas ...
"We talk to our players all the time about commitment and what that means. We are very honored that adidas has made such a commitment to our university, our athletic program and our basketball team. This is a transformational development for us. The amount of equipment, gear and services that will benefit our student-athletes with this partnership is unbelievable. This will transcend our program and push us forward. We are grateful to adidas for partnering with us and for their belief in us. Louisiana Tech is moving forward and it is an exciting time to be a part of it." -- Eric Konkol, Head Men's Basketball Coach
"We are really excited about having the opportunity to partner with a global leader like adidas. When you look at the brand of Louisiana Tech and to know the strength of that brand, it's exciting to put the entire athletic department under one roof. This will really benefit the student-athletes. The Davison Athletics Complex was a game changer for us. I think this partnership has the chance to be a game changer, not just for the football program but for all of our student-athletes. I think it speaks volumes to the leadership, the reputation and the brand of Louisaina Tech and its athletic department, that people around the country are taking notice. This deal is definitely a game changer." -- Skip Holtz, Head Football Coach
"I think it is huge for our athletic department as a whole. It will provide consistency for all of our teams and our brand. This will only strengthen the ability of people to identify with all of our teams. In terms of our track and field team, it's a huge deal. It will provide much more equipment and gear which leads to the enjoyment of the student-athletes. Adidas is a huge factor in Europe and track is a very international sport. I think this partnership with adidas is huge for us right now. I think all of the student-athletes at Louisiana Tech will be benefit, and we are very grateful to adidas. This will elevate our athletic department and our program." -- Gary Stanley, Head Track & Field Coach
