Swoosh! There’s $39M
Nike, UW agree to 10-year partnership
SEATTLE – The Washington Huskies now have 39 million reasons to bow down to the swoosh.
The University of Washington athletic department and Nike Inc. have agreed to a new 10-year partnership worth a potential $39 million that will provide all 23 of the Huskies’ intercollegiate teams with uniforms, equipment and cash. The deal is worth more than three times the school’s current 10-year contract with the sports retail behemoth.
The deal isn’t noteworthy that it was done; nearly all major college athletic departments have agreements with sports apparel companies. What’s remarkable is its value. The minimum monetary and product value is nearly $35 million, the school announced Friday. Incentives could ultimately make the total package worth $39 million.
It’s a level below the Michigans and Tennessees of the college sports world, but plenty high for a Huskies athletic department that hasn’t excelled on a national scale in the highest revenue sports of football and men’s basketball over the last couple of years.
“It definitely is,” big, said Scott Woodward, UW’s vice president for external affairs. “It’s in the top tier nationally.”
Not bad for a school that hasn’t been to a football bowl game since 2002, or one that is still without an athletic director. UW president Mark Emmert is still looking for a replacement for Todd Turner.