If you ask any athlete what one of the most crucial elements of their game is, chances are they will mention something about their uniforms. Warm-up suits, cleats, batting gloves and the phrase “Look good, feel good, play good” are common among athletes. Lucky for them, the athletic department recently renewed its agreement with one of the biggest brands in sports: Nike.
“We entered into the agreement about three years ago, and we just re-upped for another five years,” said Quin Patterson, head athletic equipment manager.
The Tigers weren’t in an exclusive agreement with any other companies before the deal with Nike. Trinity athletes wear Nike gear from head to toe, including practice shirts, shoes, cleats, uniforms, hats and other specialized equipment. The switch was headed by Trinity’s athletic director, Bob King, in an effort to have uniformity across our athletic teams.
“We got some feedback from the coaches and it seemed like a lot of people wanted to go to Nike as far as uniforms and practice gear, seeing that a lot of coaches were already doing that,” Patterson said.
With the help of Patterson, Tiger coaches ordered team equipment and apparel through BSN Sports, a vendor in Dallas. BSN Sports is one of the largest retailers of Nike. Trinity has an agreement to purchase all Nike apparel from BSN Sports; in return, Nike and BSN Sports gives Trinity some apparel and equipment for free.
“It’s a sign of good faith. “¦ We go out and support their brand, and they give us a certain allotment of free goods in return,” Patterson said.
The extra allotment is used in different ways every year. A few years ago, King purchased Nike “˜dri-fit’ shirts for each team, but the specific order depends on the year. Patterson often orders travel bags for the teams, as well as warm-up pants and shirts.
“We really want to give off that Nike look and feel all the time,” Patterson said.
Trinity athletes love the partnership with Nike, said Brooke Bastien sophomore volleyball player.
“I love our dark gray Nike jerseys,” Bastien said. “They are very breathable and give us an intimidating look. Nike has always been my favorite brand to play in because the style and the material is just a cut above the rest.”
The cross-country runners changed up their uniforms this year as well.
“I love the new uniforms. The tops are super lightweight and when we are passing other runners in races, the Trinity logo on the back of the singlets reminds our competition who is beating them,” said Molly McCullough, a junior engineering major and one of the captains of the women’s cross-country team. “The most exciting part of our new uniforms, in my opinion, are the buns (bikini style running shorts). In Abilene last weekend, quite a few of us ladies wore the buns and we not only looked ready to run fast, but also did.”
The volleyball team also says they love their Nike “˜Kobe Bryant’ shoes.
The football team got white Nike “˜Vapor’ cleats this year, as well as icy white helmets. The team also received new travel jackets, which are maroon quarter zips made out of Nike’s dri-fit material.
“With brand-new polos and pullovers, the team looks good when we travel,” said Alejandro Anzaldua, senior football player. The men’s basketball team got two new pairs of shoes this season, Nike “˜Zoom Revs’ and “˜Paul Georges,’ along with new practice shirts and travel suits.
Trinity athletics will be in partnership with Nike for at least five more years. To see some behind the scenes photos of the athletic gear, follow @TrinityTX_Equip on Twitter.
