Sports

After months of planning, the Ohio University Athletics Department officially announced its exclusive partnership with popular sportswear company adidas on Tuesday.

Since 2007, Ohio Athletics has been partnered with Russell Athletics to provide gear and apparel for athletes as well as students. With their contract ending on June 30, Ohio decided to move on from their long-time partnership with Russell. adidas was Ohio’s uniform provider before the Russell deal.

“We are ecstatic about our new official outfitter partnership with adidas,” Ohio Director of Athletics Jim Schaus said. “They are a premier brand which has stood for excellence in the sports world for nearly 100 years. Our student-athletes, coaches, staff will love the high quality of their uniform, apparel and shoe lines and our fans will enjoy all that they offer for Bobcats branded gear. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with adidas.”

Ohio University’s contract with adidas will go into effect immediately following the expiration of their contract with Russell on June 30. The partnership will run for eight years, with the option for a two year extension come 2025. adidas will be the official equipment brand for all things Ohio sports, including footwear, equipment, uniform, clothing and accessories.

“We’re excited to have adidas as a partner as I’ve heard many good things about them from my counterparts throughout college football,” Ohio Football head coach frank Solich said. “We appreciate the long-term commitment they’ve made to Ohio, not only for football, but for all of our sports. Their equipment is top notch and something our players will be excited to wear on campus, at practice and in competition.”

adidas is currently one of the most popular brands in sportswear in the United States, sponsoring professional athletes across more than 20 sports, as well as more than 100 college athletics programs. In the Mid-American Conference, adidas currently holds a partnership with six other universities, including Miami (OH), Akron, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan, making Ohio one of the last to hop on board.

Several other Ohio Athletics staff members, including Senior Associate Athletic Director Michael Stephens, stressed that the partnership with adidas, and the school’s recent deal with ESPN3, will help raise the program’s national exposure, strengthen Ohio’s brand and and help the school’s student athletes.

“This announcement is exciting for Ohio Basketball as I believe the association with adidas will help us continue to build our national brand and that in turn will assist us in recruiting,” Ohio Men’s Basketball coach Saul Phillips said. “The shoes, apparel and equipment are excellent and the team and coaches are excited to wear them proudly.”

According to The Post, Ohio Athletics currently receives $397,500 per year in Russell athletic gear and is the only school in the MAC that is paid by a sportswear company to wear their apparel. The other schools pay to receive that gear.

Students and fans can currently purchase Bobcats apparel from a variety of manufacturers, including Russell, Nike and Under Armour, and those options will remain even after the adidas deal goes into effect in June.