Long-lasting Buffs-NIKE Partnership Has Stood Test Of Time
July 16, 2021 | General, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — In terms of significant events in University of Colorado Athletics history, next Oct. 9 will mark the 26th anniversary of one of the more consequential moments in Buffaloes annals.
But no Buff scored a touchdown, made a basket or won a race that day. As a matter of fact, not a single CU team was in competition on Oct. 9, 1995.
It is, however, the day that then-CU Athletic Director Bill Marolt announced the first Colorado-NIKE contract, a deal that at the time put CU in elite national company and has since proven to be a steady, beneficial relationship for all parties involved.
The original agreement was the third-largest in the country for any program with NIKE. It provided equipment and apparel for 15 of 17 CU's varsity sports (all but skiing), along with an annual cash corporate sponsorship.
Now, CU is in its fourth contract with NIKE, with the last deal a 10-year agreement that runs through the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year. Along with apparel, equipment and cash sponsorship, the contract also provides performance bonuses for CU coaches, royalties for merchandise sold nationwide, and a summer internship every year for a CU undergrad.
But while the official apparel and sponsorship agreement is now entering its 27th year, the relationship between Colorado and the sportswear giant stretches back nearly four decades. Colorado's football team began sporting NIKE gear in 1983, men's basketball joined the swoosh fold in 1990 and the volleyball program followed suit two years later.Â
The two have also worked on apparel and equipment initiatives, including such innovations as football uniforms with built-in cooling systems.
CU has had opportunities to explore other options over the years. But at each contractual juncture, the Buffs have returned to the swoosh.
 "Our partnership is one of the longest-lasting partnerships we have had at CU," Athletic Director Rick George said. "We value our partnership and relationship very much and we look forward to working with NIKE in the future. Their iconic brand matched with our iconic brand has created a relationship that has stood the test of time. Being one of the original Nike schools is an important part of who we are and our partnership is a truly special one."
CU's contract with NIKE has been a boon in a number of areas, beginning with the obvious apparel, equipment and cash support. When Colorado signed the original agreement in 1995, it put the Buffs in elite national company, signaling that the CU brand was one that had national recognition.
But what may not be remembered as well is that the original agreement also opened the door for better financing for women's sports. The additional money and apparel/equipment meant Colorado could utilize funds previously allocated for equipment for its new women's golf and soccer programs, which began a year later.
It was an important step in CU's commitment to meeting Title IX regulations, and opened the door for more opportunities for women's sports in the process.
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Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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