Marketplace Roundup

Pierce Inks Memorabilia Deal With Steiner Sports

Celtics F and NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce signed an exclusive collectibles and autograph deal with Steiner Sports. The line of Pierce collectibles includes signed photographs from the NBA Finals, including pictures with the MVP trophy, autographed No. 34 Celtics jerseys and signed NBA basketballs, as well as items signed with the "NBA Finals MVP" inscription (Steiner Sports).

REBEL YELL: In Las Vegas, Brian Hilderbrand reports UNLV unveiled its new Nike home football jersey last week during an on-campus photo shoot. The "new design retains the school's traditional scarlet and gray colors, but incorporates more gray in the jerseys," while the "stretch mesh and Cordura jerseys are designed to be cooler in the desert heat and fit better than the previous jerseys." The school dropped Russell Athletic and signed a deal making Nike the exclusive product supplier and sponsor of UNLV athletics (LAS VEGAS SUN, 6/24).

BUMP AND RUN: The Champions Tour Bank of America Championship Tournament Dir Tracy West currently is "in negotiations with two New England companies which have expressed interest" in the title sponsorship. West said that if the "search for a title sponsor comes up empty, she will pursue a consortium of five companies to underwrite the tournament." BofA last fall informed the event it was not renewing its title agreement (BOSTON HERALD, 6/24).

NOTES: Subaru will be the exclusive automotive sponsor of X Games 14 to be held in L.A. July 31-August 3. Subaru will provide ESPN with a '09 Subaru Impreza WRX for the Most Outstanding Athlete of the Games grand-prize award (Subaru)....U.S. Olympic gymnasts Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin along with Olympic hopeful Alicia Sacramone have been named spokespersons for Cover Girl, marking the first time athletes have been chosen to be models for the magazine ("Today," NBC, 6/24)....New Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross appeared in an ad for First Republic Bank in a recent edition of the N.Y. Times Magazine, but the bank said that Ross is "not an endorser, just a customer who appreciates the bank's services" (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 6/23)....Martini & Rossi named Dolphins radio play-by-play announcer Jimmy Cefalo as the new Wine Ambassador for the Martini & Rossi brands (Martini & Rossi).