University of Memphis Athletics
Memphis Signs Exclusive All Sports Contract With Nike
Nov 12, 2008 | General
Nov. 12, 2008
MEMPHIS -- The University of Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson announced on Wednesday that the athletic department had agreed in principle to a five-year, $11.3 million, exclusive contract with Nike to provide shoes, apparel and equipment for all Tiger athletic teams.
The press conference, held in the Athletic Office Building on Memphis' campus, featured Johnson, Nike's Director of College Sports Marketing Kit Morris, Alan Graf , Vice-President and CFO FedEx Corporation and a Board member for Nike and Willie Gregory, director of community and business operations for Nike Tennessee.
"This is a very prestigious day for Memphis athletics," Johnson said. "We started this thing quite a while ago. Willie (Gregory) and I first envisioned this probably seven or eight years ago. It's taken a lot of effort and a lot of cooperation from everybody. The contract is unbelievable, and we're really proud of it; particularly in this day and age it's almost unheard of. To have something like this speaks volume of our coaching staffs, speaks volumes of the boosters and the fan base the Tigers have and certainly a tribute to our student-athletes.
"Given the current economic conditions and the ever increasing cost to operate Division 1-A athletic departments, it is imperative to have corporate partners such as Nike," Johnson continued. "This association will provide team apparel for all of our athletic teams, as well as product that can be used for special events like our annual fund raiser, the Tiger Golf Classic."
Memphis athletic teams have always been responsible for their own apparel, equipment and uniforms. Now, each team will be outfitted by Nike, lifting some of the financial burden on budgets.
"In my more than 11 years as director of college sports marketing at Nike, I would tell you that this is my very first time in participating in an announcement for footwear and apparel partnership," Morris said. "What is especially important in today's announcement is the role the University of Memphis plays in our company's back yard. The distance that separates our campus in Oregon from the University of Memphis campus is about 1,850 miles.
"So you're probably wondering how big our back yard is. But with 1,600 employees in Memphis and Shelby County, I can tell you that our relationship with the University of Memphis is for us just like existing partnerships with the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, the University of Portland and Portland State University.
"On behalf of Nike's chairman Phil Knight, our CEO Mark Parker, our employees in this region and around the globe, we are honored to add the University of Memphis to this distinguished list. In reaching this agreement, I would like to acknowledge the hard work of R.C. Johnson and his staff of Willie Gregory and Alan Graf of the Tiger Advisory board and let you know that we are delighted to continue our work with sports like Memphis Tiger football and women's basketball and especially excited to welcome John Calipari and the men's basketball team back into the Nike family. As we like to say it back in Oregon; Just Do It Tigers"
"My chief role in this Nike contract was to continue to encourage everybody to work together and be a cheerleader because it's such a natural fit for our community with the great Nike base here," Graff said. "This is a big help for the University--for the athletic department--to help us give R.C. a bigger budget and great equipment."
The contract agreement must also receive approval from Nashville.
Additional Quotes from the Dignitaries Attending the Press Conference
R.C. Johnson
University of Memphis Athletic Director
"It's a very special time for us. This is historic, and I'm glad so many of you could join us. I want to announce that we have agreed in principle for an all-sport contract between the University of Memphis athletic department and the Nike Corporation. We have a pending contract for five years at $11.3 million in product and cash. I'm just absolutely thrilled about it."
"I know some of you are interested in seeing the final contract that has to go to Nashville and is also 52 or 53 pages long, so we don't have that to distribute that today. As I've mentioned, we've talked about the five years and the $11.3 million in product and cash. One of the reasons we were able to culminate this is because some of the special things that went with it and I want to mention it because it wouldn't have happened without these guys. We started several years ago the Tiger Athletic Classic for Friday before our home football opener every year. The Nike people are going to sponsor the Tiger Athletic Classic for us. They are also going to provide product and prizes for it, which is a unique part of this contract that is in addition to what I've already said. They're also going to provide product for us for special events and this is all over and above what the contract calls for in product and cash and initial space. And they've also agreed to assist in the development of our women's sports programs, which we are always looking to make that better and better. And it just goes on and on, so it's just a fantastic deal. We are so please with it. We are excited. It starts effective immediately."
Willie Gregory
Director of Community and Business Operations for Nike Tennessee
"I've just got to reiterate some things that Kit (Morris) said. This is certainly when you talk about team and you say there is no I in team; this is certainly a team effort. We've worked on this deal for a number of years and to have it come into culmination now is certainly further proof of the investment the Nike Company is making in Memphis. We've got our Nike retail store in Whitehaven. We just opened a 1.2 million square foot distribution facility in Northridge as well as our Shelby location. Although it is the back yard of Nike with the second largest employee population in the nation, we're just absolutely delighted to be a part of the University of Memphis again. As Kit said, we are certainly proud to have the No. 12 ranked team in the nation as part of our family. Thank you and we look forward to a long and great relationship."
