Arizona State Univ. and apparel provider Adidas are "forming another partnership called the Global Sport Alliance that will go beyond the standard deal that most universities sign with sports companies," according to Anne Ryman of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The two are forming the Global Sport Institute, which will "conduct sports research with the goal of making practical discoveries that can help your everyday life." ASU President Michael Crow said, "We’re going to work together, thinking about the future of sport, designing new ways that sport can move forward and designing new ways where sport can involve more people -- not just all of the athletes on the field." Officials "won't say how much Adidas is investing in the partnership, but said the company is funding a director's position for the sport institute." The position will be held by Univ. of Pennsylvania sports law and business professor Kenneth Shropshire. The Global Sport Institute "will work with departments already in place at ASU, including Sun Devil Athletics and the law school, the business school, the engineering school and journalism school, among others" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/13). In Phoenix, Angela Gonzales noted when Crow and Adidas leadership "realized they shared a set of values about the future, including sustainability, they started talking about how they can work together." The partnership will "explore topics, such as athletic potential, consumer behavior and insight, product materials and innovations, and new educational opportunities." It will provide a platform for "exploring fan behavior toward athletes, under-representation within coaching ranks and team ownership, bias issues related to officiating and racial background and how it impacts sport participation" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 6/12).
TOP DOG? YAHOO SPORTS' Daniel Roberts writes it is "worth asking if this deal effectively puts ASU in the conversation for the title of Adidas’s flagship school." Adidas "doesn’t have any obvious flagship university." Adidas Group North American President Mark King said that is "by design." Still, King said this partnership "elevates ASU to a different level completely." King: "We’re not just investing in changing their helmets every week with a different-color jersey. This is about global reach" (FINANCE.YAHOO.com, 6/13).
