Adidas Contract Expiring

CrackerJacket

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
460
Location
Corpus Christi, TX
My three concerns, beyond the commercial value of the deal:
  • Do our athletes like their current unis - fit/comfort/design ?
  • Is the GT fanbase happy with what's available from Adidas vs what they see Nike or UA market to the public for 'their' schools?
  • Our supplier should make game-caliber merch available for public purchase (listen up, Adidas...)
Nike has the majority of P5 schools (ok, P2 + ACC & Big12), so my guess is they would not have much incentive to offer us a good deal. Adidas has about a dozen of the former P5 and probably want to grow their footprint, so I'd think they would make us a better deal than Nike. But what about Under Armor? Are they looking to add schools?
 

jgtengineer

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,969
My three concerns, beyond the commercial value of the deal:
  • Do our athletes like their current unis - fit/comfort/design ?
  • Is the GT fanbase happy with what's available from Adidas vs what they see Nike or UA market to the public for 'their' schools?
  • Our supplier should make game-caliber merch available for public purchase (listen up, Adidas...)
Nike has the majority of P5 schools (ok, P2 + ACC & Big12), so my guess is they would not have much incentive to offer us a good deal. Adidas has about a dozen of the former P5 and probably want to grow their footprint, so I'd think they would make us a better deal than Nike. But what about Under Armor? Are they looking to add schools?

Truthfully i think we might want to bite the bullet and just pay for Nike.

Its all about perception and Nike/Jumpman is the Gold standard. Nike even has seperations within their groups while they provide for a lot of schools, jumpman branding is restricted. We should attempt to position for that.
 

mts315

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
929
My three concerns, beyond the commercial value of the deal:
  • Do our athletes like their current unis - fit/comfort/design ?
  • Is the GT fanbase happy with what's available from Adidas vs what they see Nike or UA market to the public for 'their' schools?
  • Our supplier should make game-caliber merch available for public purchase (listen up, Adidas...)
Nike has the majority of P5 schools (ok, P2 + ACC & Big12), so my guess is they would not have much incentive to offer us a good deal. Adidas has about a dozen of the former P5 and probably want to grow their footprint, so I'd think they would make us a better deal than Nike. But what about Under Armor? Are they looking to add schools?
At this point signing with Under Armor would be on par with us being with Russell.

I think we should try and stay with Adidas unless Nike were to offer us equal money and exposure.
 

TooTall

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,289
Location
Vidalia
I just want to see GT merch like everyone else has. Compare:



 

LongforDodd

LatinxBreakfastTacos
Messages
3,195
Truthfully i think we might want to bite the bullet and just pay for Nike.

Its all about perception and Nike/Jumpman is the Gold standard. Nike even has seperations within their groups while they provide for a lot of schools, jumpman branding is restricted. We should attempt to position for that.
Jumpman was front and center on JJ McCarthy's chin strap.
 

n385

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
3
Jordan brand should be option 1. Nike already outfits the other school, and having a Jumpman presence in Atlanta itself could be huge for us in terms of “coolness” factor and also allows Nike to expand more in Atlanta. While the Adidas jerseys have been pretty good, their deal started right before I started my first year at Tech. I’ve now graduated with two degrees and am still unimpressed with what Adidas has offered in terms of public merch.
 

jgtengineer

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,969
Jumpman was front and center on JJ McCarthy's chin strap.
Exactly

Jumpman is associated with basketball success we need our basketball team to be much better.
UNC Tarheels, UCLA Bruins, Michigan Wolverines, Georgetown Hoyas, Marquette Golden Eagles, San Diego State Aztecs, Houston Cougars, Oklahoma Sooners , Howard
 

RonJohn

Helluva Engineer
Messages
4,996
I just want to see GT merch like everyone else has. Compare:
That has nothing to do with the uniform contract. That has to do with stores, and online retailers, believe they can sell. I have seen Walmart and Target with tons of mutt, Auburn, and Alabama gear. It all sells, even some crazy mutt themed crock pots and lamps. In January after the 2014 Orange Bowl, my local Walmart had a sleeve of Orange Bowl blu rays. I bought one. A year later the still had about 80% of that sleeve on the shelf. They put out three sleeves of Taxslayer Bowl blu rays, that the mutts played in. Within a week they were sold out. They eventually dropped the price of the 2014 Orange Bowl discs to something like $5. The sleeve was still about half full TWO YEARS after the bowl game. I have not seen one piece of GT gear in that Walmart since then. I know someone who purchased two GT branded rocking lawn chairs from a different Walmart. It was some years back. The chairs were originally around $50. According to the lady that bought them, the store had GT, mutt, Auburn, and Alabama. All sold out except for the GT ones. After more than a year, and markdowns, she purchased two chairs for $4 each. She isn't a GT fan, she just wanted the heavily discounted chair.

GT fans like to complain about not having gear available, but stores end up having to throw GT merchandise in the trash because nobody will buy it. mutt fans buy ANYTHING. Even stupid table lamps and cock pots just because it has the logo on it. GT fans will not even buy good merchandise. Just a few years ago, GT fans online were eager to get the baseball caps with the T on them. When the GT bookstore made them available, the posters were spouting complaints. Price is too high. Stitching doesn't match the "real" hats. Bill isn't pre-bent to exactly the correct curve. Taking off my gold colored glasses, if I were a manager of a big box store: I would stock what I know can sell. I would not stock what I know will not sell. That is the biggest problem with GT merchandise, the fans WILL NOT purchase it so stores don't carry it.

Adidas does not even have an exclusive contract to make GT fan apparel. In fact, GT just re-signed a contract with Hanes for an "exclusive rights to Georgia Tech fanwear in the mass retail channel." Whatever that wording actually means. Hanes owns Champion, which does make a decent amount of GT t-shirts, jackets, sweaters, etc. I don't know what limits are on "fanwear" and I don't know how the contract defines "mass retail channel".


Section103.com has a good selection of tshirts, hoodies, sweaters, etc. If you want other stores to carry GT merchandise, then let's order so much from him that he has to hire employees and expand his operation. That might get the attention of the big box stores that we need more.
 

TooTall

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,289
Location
Vidalia
That has nothing to do with the uniform contract. That has to do with stores, and online retailers, believe they can sell. I have seen Walmart and Target with tons of mutt, Auburn, and Alabama gear. It all sells, even some crazy mutt themed crock pots and lamps. In January after the 2014 Orange Bowl, my local Walmart had a sleeve of Orange Bowl blu rays. I bought one. A year later the still had about 80% of that sleeve on the shelf. They put out three sleeves of Taxslayer Bowl blu rays, that the mutts played in. Within a week they were sold out. They eventually dropped the price of the 2014 Orange Bowl discs to something like $5. The sleeve was still about half full TWO YEARS after the bowl game. I have not seen one piece of GT gear in that Walmart since then. I know someone who purchased two GT branded rocking lawn chairs from a different Walmart. It was some years back. The chairs were originally around $50. According to the lady that bought them, the store had GT, mutt, Auburn, and Alabama. All sold out except for the GT ones. After more than a year, and markdowns, she purchased two chairs for $4 each. She isn't a GT fan, she just wanted the heavily discounted chair.

GT fans like to complain about not having gear available, but stores end up having to throw GT merchandise in the trash because nobody will buy it. mutt fans buy ANYTHING. Even stupid table lamps and cock pots just because it has the logo on it. GT fans will not even buy good merchandise. Just a few years ago, GT fans online were eager to get the baseball caps with the T on them. When the GT bookstore made them available, the posters were spouting complaints. Price is too high. Stitching doesn't match the "real" hats. Bill isn't pre-bent to exactly the correct curve. Taking off my gold colored glasses, if I were a manager of a big box store: I would stock what I know can sell. I would not stock what I know will not sell. That is the biggest problem with GT merchandise, the fans WILL NOT purchase it so stores don't carry it.

Adidas does not even have an exclusive contract to make GT fan apparel. In fact, GT just re-signed a contract with Hanes for an "exclusive rights to Georgia Tech fanwear in the mass retail channel." Whatever that wording actually means. Hanes owns Champion, which does make a decent amount of GT t-shirts, jackets, sweaters, etc. I don't know what limits are on "fanwear" and I don't know how the contract defines "mass retail channel".


Section103.com has a good selection of tshirts, hoodies, sweaters, etc. If you want other stores to carry GT merchandise, then let's order so much from him that he has to hire employees and expand his operation. That might get the attention of the big box stores that we need more.
I hear you. I was just making a complaint. I try to buy (Interstate Sports at Tanger in Pooler and College Collectibles at Tanger in Locust Grove both have solid amount of GT gear) when I can but it's a manufacturing issue. The crap isn't even being made. What can we do to change that?
 

RonJohn

Helluva Engineer
Messages
4,996
I hear you. I was just making a complaint. I try to buy (Interstate Sports at Tanger in Pooler and College Collectibles at Tanger in Locust Grove both have solid amount of GT gear) when I can but it's a manufacturing issue. The crap isn't even being made. What can we do to change that?
We need for the fan base to buy stuff when it is available. Make it disappear off of the shelves in days, like the mutt stuff does. That is difficult to do when the stores don't believe it will sell, so they don't make even small amounts available. As I said before, we should flood Section103 so much that he can't keep up. It takes the entire fan base, not just a few of us. (I have nothing to do with operating or profiting from Section103. I have purchased from him and I have been very pleased with the clothes and the service.)
 

TooTall

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,289
Location
Vidalia
We need for the fan base to buy stuff when it is available. Make it disappear off of the shelves in days, like the mutt stuff does. That is difficult to do when the stores don't believe it will sell, so they don't make even small amounts available. As I said before, we should flood Section103 so much that he can't keep up. It takes the entire fan base, not just a few of us. (I have nothing to do with operating or profiting from Section103. I have purchased from him and I have been very pleased with the clothes and the service.)
I have too (came in a little small but that figures for me lol) have purchased from 103. But I want the cheap looking crock pot lol. Need something to place next to those ratty mutt crockpots at church.
 
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