Wildhack said that Syracuse increased the amount of Nike product available to each of its programsGETTY IMAGES
Syracuse on Friday announced a new multiyear apparel agreement with Nike, and AD John Wildhack said that the deal was "shorter than many of the highly-publicized record-breaking contracts that have been recently signed" by other schools, according to Chris Carlson of the Syracuse POST-STANDARD. Wildhack said that the school "agreed with Nike not to release specific details of the new contract," but noted that many contracts signed between schools and apparel companies "currently run between six and 15 years." Wildhack added that college football is "primarily responsible for the high valuations, and that's a part of the reason Syracuse opted for a shorter agreement." Wildhack: "As we look to grow our brand, one of the things that will help us in the future is we need to maintain our success in football. If we do, that drives the value for the apparel company. In this sense, I think we are better served by a shorter deal." Although he declined to provide exact numbers, Wildhack said that Syracuse "increased the amount of Nike product that would be available to each of its programs, and that much of the value in the deal comes from that product." Wildhack: "It's primarily product. It's uniforms, practice gear, footwear, apparel. It's comprehensive. That was the No. 1 priority going into the negotiation." (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 6/15). Syracuse has been with Nike since the '82-83 basketball season, with other sports slowly joining the fold. No details were given about new football uniforms, but Syracuse has "worn its current football look since 2014, with many fans clamoring for a new look that doesn't look so close to Illinois and with more readable jersey numbers" (CNYCENTRAL.com, 6/14).
PRODUCT OF SUCCESS: In Syracuse, Stephen Bailey reported SU has "sold 6,800 new season tickets" for football this offseason after a 10-3 record last year.. That is "already roughly 4,500 more than Syracuse sold last offseason, and the figure is inching toward SU's single-year record of just over 8,000." Wildhack also noted that Syracuse has "seen a season-ticket renewal rate" of over 90% (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 6/15).
