In Green Bay, Richard Ryman reports Wisconsin-based Prevea Health has signed Packers QB Aaron Rodgers to a multiyear endorsement deal. Prevea will use Rodgers' name and likeness "in its health and wellness campaigns." Prevea President & CEO Ashok Rai said that "some personal appearances also will be involved, but planning still is under way" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 12/28). Octagon First Call Managing Dir David Schwab wrote on his Twitter account, "Prevea announces new partnership w/Aaron Rodgers today. Would get more ink if announced during a non-holiday week."
PACK MENTALITY: In Raleigh, Jason deBruyn reports the NC State Univ. athletics department "has been working on new apparel contacts for at least nine months, but still does not have anything in place" for when the current adidas contract expires in June. NC State is "cutting it close," as apparel manufacturers "typically like to have orders at least a year in advance." The school's current contracts are "worth a combined $1.8 million to $2 million per year" (TRIANGLE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/23 issue).
SHIRT SPONSOR DEAL NEAR? In K.C., Pete Grathoff noted a local Dick's Sporting Goods recently sold out of MLS Sporting K.C. jerseys, and a salesperson said that the team is "changing its jerseys again and they wouldn't have any in stock for a while." Grathoff: "It's highly unlikely the team would change its colors or logo for the 2012 season, so I'm thinking there's got to be a sponsorship deal in the works" (KANSASCITY.com, 12/27).
RECYCLE BIN: ESPN.com's Jesse Huffman reported Burton has teamed with Mountain Dew to "up their collective sustainability and produce fabrics from recycled plastics." Capitalizing on Dew's "steady supply of plastic bottles, Burton designers will be integrating fabrics made with recycled PET into their Green Mountain Project line of outerwear." The partnership's first offerings are a "series of handcrafted t-shirts made from a 50/50 [blend] of recycled plastic bottles and organic cotton construction." Available exclusively at Burton flagship stores, the three-style short-sleeved series is a "teaser of bigger things to come for the 2013 season" (ESPN.com, 12/27).
JERSEY SCORE: YAHOO SPORTS' Greg Wyshynski noted the Canadiens this week debuted Subway as their new practice jersey sponsor and writes there is "just too much money on the table for teams not to explore, eventually, ads on game jerseys" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/27).
