An Altogether Happy And Innocent Friendship

When North Carolina men's basketball Coach Dean Smith's Tar Heels take to the hardwood floor this season, even the most casual observer of college athletics will notice the striking uniformity of the sneakers worn by the defending national champs.

Only the closer follower of collegiate sports, however, will equate that uniformity with the multi-million dollar sports-endorsement industry. Through an endorsement agreement between Smith and Nike Incorporated, all of the Tar Heels sport Nike basketball shoes.

In return for the tremendous exposure that the Tar Heels give to Nike and their products, the Beaverton, Oregon based sports supplier donates all of the school's sports equipment at no charge. Nike has similar arrangements with the University of Southern California and the University of Miami.

"We pick schools to work with based on profile and competitive success," Nike spokesperson Erin Kendrigan says. "We want to get our products on the best athletes."

While this may be Nike's position on large endorsement contracts, the endorsement of college teams is not confined to only big-name athletic programs.

In fact, several Harvard sports squads, which compete in relative obscurity compared with UNC, USC and Miami, have taken advantage of sponsorship deals with various sports equipment and sports apparel suppliers.

"Harvard doesn't need to get anything free so we don't actively pursue [sponsorship] deals," Harvard equipment manager Chet Stone says. "But if [sport suppliers] want to help out the coaches that's fine."

Indeed, the sports endorsement deals that Harvard sports teams usually involve personal agreements between corporate representatives and a Crimson coach.

Mike Chasson, Head Coach of the men's swimming team, for example, has connections with Speedo representatives, many of whom are ex-swimmers that Chasson has known since his college days.

Because of this relationship, the swimwear manufacturer donates swimming caps and goggles to the team.

Chasson points out though, that Harvard doesn't allow any endorsement of products beyond using them. In other words, you won't see any Speedo banners hanging from the rafters at Blodgett pool, and you certainty won't see captain David Osterhus speaking on the behalf of Speedo after a swimmeet.

The regulations that prohibit the advertisement of athletic products in Harvard arenas hamper the ability of Harvard to receive large endorsements.

"We don't have anything to sell [in exchange for the free products]," Chasson says. "The only way you're going to get them [endorsements] is through personal friends."

The Harvard men's basketball team also benefits from such a personal relationship between its Head Coach Frank Sullivan and a Converse representative, Steve Rosenberry.

"I've known Coach Sullivan through friendship for a long time," Rosenberry, Converse's Regional Promotions Director, says.

In fact, Sullivan had an endorsement agreement with Converse Incorporated during his days as Head Coach at Bentley College.

"When he moved up to Harvard--to a bigger program--we were able to do a lot more for him," Rosenberry says.

Under the present verbal agreement between Rosenberry and Sullivan, Converse provides 15 team members with sneakers, socks, bags and other gear.

"We're very fortunate we can get a whole year's worth of sneakers from them," Sullivan says.

In return, Converse receives, quite obviously, the promotional benefit derived from Harvard players wearing converse products, as well as a free half-page advertisement in the basketball programs for all games after January 1, 1994.

Harvard obtained sponsorships for more individualized sports like tennis and squash.

But unlike men's basketball and men's swimming, Crimson tennis and squash teams, because of their status as top NCAA teams in their respective sports, are actively sought out by sports equipment suppliers for sponsorships.

Reebok International Limited, for example, provides footwear and apparel for the national powerhouse Harvard squash teams.

"By being associated with one of the top teams in the country we gain credibility with out target consumer," says Pete Robie, Director of U.S. Sports Marketing at Reebok, and former Crimson men's basketball coach ('85-'91).

The Crimson men's tennis team, consistently ranked in the top 20 nationally, has, for the last several years, received rackets free of charge from the Prince Sports Group.

"The rackets go to the university, to be given to the players through the equipment manager," Linda Glassel, manager of U.S. Player Promotions at Prince says. "Also, the equipment must be returned to Prince once they [the players] are finished using them."

The players have the option of receiving new rackets from Prince year to year, as long as any old equipment is returned.

Glassel emphasizes the importance of the multi-stepped transaction because of the strict terms of NCAA regulations, specifically regulation 16.12.2.6, which states the following:

"A student-athlete may not accept athletics equipment, supplies or clothing (e.g., tennis recquets, golf clubs, hockey sticks, balls, shirts) from a manufacturer or commercial enterprise. Such items may be provided to the student-athlete's institution, to be utilized by the institution's team in accordance with accepted practices for issuance and retrieval of athletics equipment."

NCAA rules also require that all equipment, whether from Prince, Reebok, Nike, or Converse, be returned to the equipment room. While in many cases this is a moot point as much of the equipment, especially the footwear, is unusable by the end of the season, the rule is strictly enforced.

"Everything has to be returned," Stone says. "If we can recondition the shoes we do that, but either way the shoes have to be returned."

The concern over NCAA rules has grown tremendously in recent years, as the NCAA has taken several probationary measures against schools that violate player-benefit regulations. Most recently, Nike has come under a great deal of scrutiny for inviting nationally renowned high school basketball players to a camp in Oregon, where they received benefits that affect their college eligibility.

But as several Crimson sports squads can confirm, sponsorships pursued within the guidelines set forth by the NCAA, can be a boon to collegiate athletes programs everywhere.