School may be out, but collegiate licensing never takes a vacation. Three major universities made new partnership deals:
- The University of Michigan signed Nike to replace Adidas as its official uniform, footwear, apparel and equipment sponsor starting on August 1, 2016. The deal, which runs to 2027 with renewal options through 2031, covers all 31 of Michigan’s athletic programs.
- Vanderbilt University and Providence College also named Nike as their official uniform provider.
- The University of Alabama extended its longstanding partner, the Collegiate Licensing Company, for 10 more years.
- The University of Notre Dame hired Fermata Partners to run its licensing program.
U.S./Canadian retail sales of licensed products in the collegiate sector totaled a shade over $3.3 billion in 2014, according to TLL’s Annual Licensing Business Survey.