UNLV's logo redesign last summer could have been done by apparel provider Nike "for free," but the school "opted to pay almost $50,000" to use Denver-based firm Adrenalin, according to Mark Anderson of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. The money UNLV paid Adrenalin, however, was "raised from private donations and didn't come directly from the university." UNLV unveiled the logo in June, and a source said that there were "valid reasons the university went with Adrenalin over Nike." Dan Dolby, GM of Learfield Communications' UNLV property, said Learfield "wasn't involved in the redesign of a new logo." A source said that Nike, as "required in the contract, was contacted about the school's desire to use a third party." But the source said that UNLV "never received an indication" that Nike would "prefer to handle the job." UNLV was also "concerned about upsetting Nike competitors that have licensing deals with the university." It was a "particular concern because UNLV's contract with Nike expires May 31, 2019, and the school might want to open the bidding to include other apparel companies." The source said that another concern about going with Nike was the company "could 'assume exclusive rights,' meaning no other manufacturer could license apparel with the new logo" (REVIEWJOURNAL.com, 2/17).
