Univ. of Memphis Looks To Land All-Sports Athletic Apparel Deal

Calipari Willing To Give Up Deal With adidas If Athletic Department Lands Apparel Contract

Univ. of Memphis (UM) AD R.C. Johnson yesterday said that the school is "sending requests for proposals this week to companies including adidas/Taylormade, Nike and Under Armour in the hope of achieving uniformity in its athletic apparel," according to Jim Masilak of the Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL. UM men's basketball coach John Calipari has had an eight-year relationship with adidas since coming to UM for the '00-01 season, as the company outfits the program, and Calipari earns about $225,000 annually in a personal deal with adidas. However, he said that he is "willing to give [it] up if Memphis is successful in landing its first all-sports apparel deal."  Calipari: "For them to have the opportunity to go out there and do this, it would be big. What non-BCS team has an all-sports deal? None. To have something this significant for the university and athletic department, I'm all for it." Johnson said that "if all goes well ... a deal to outfit the school's varsity teams under one brand name could be in place by the end of July." Masilak notes Calipari's four-year deal with adidas is set to expire before next season, and Johnson "stressed that Calipari would 'be taken care of' in any new apparel deal." Johnson said that an all-inclusive deal "would take effect 'as soon as possible' even though some fall sports programs already have made orders for the upcoming season." Johnson though is also "willing to stick with individual deals if an acceptable bid is not forthcoming" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 6/26).