Marketing Through College Athletes

           Nike has the Oregon Ducks, Adidas has the Louisville Cardinals, and Under Armour has the South Carolina Gamecocks. What better way of promoting your products than through the college games on Friday and Saturday nights that capture the eyes of millions. I can recite by school who they are sponsored by, and it’s not because I’ve done extensive research, but because of the fact that I am part of those millions who watch collegiate sports and just through observations I’ve been able to figure out who sponsors who. But, what the common fan doesn’t known is the series of strict rules that a college athlete must follow due to the sponsorships of the school they attend.
           This past summer my friend left for Louisville where she had committed to playing soccer. Before she left, she had told our high school team of how she couldn’t wear any of her Nike clothing since Louisville was sponsored by Adidas, and Nike was almost her entire wardrobe. But, once she got to school she was given numerous amounts of Adidas clothing that donned the cardinal red and white of Louisville colors, which was not only a promotion of her school, but also the brand that provided the clothing, Adidas. Another example is my cousin who attends Boston University (BU) on a track scholarship. Currently Boston University is switching over from a Nike sponsorship to New Balance. She has been told that they can no longer wear any of the clothing they were provided by Nike, and now they can only wear New Balance. In both instances you can see the strict rules that college athletes must follow according to the sports company that sponsor their schools, and that is done so that the companies are 100% sure they are being represented and promoted by the athletes.
            I think this type of marketing is ingenious by sports companies all over the nation. It is a win for both the company and the college because the company get marketing by athletes who are plastered on posters and ESPN, and the college receives the necessary clothing and gear needed for their athletics department. As a fan of sports, when I watch college athletes, I’m not just watching the game, but I like to pay attention to the shoes or accessories my favorite athletes are wearing because I want to wear the same gear as them. Just through watching sports daily, I’ve experienced what millions of other viewers have and what the sports companies have worked to achieve. I and millions of others want to buy and wear what the athletes I look up to are wearing, which only creates more revenue for the sports company.