Why K-State extended its Nike apparel deal and what that could mean for new uniforms
The Kansas State Wildcats have been wearing a Nike swoosh on their uniforms for more than 20 years, and that’s not going to change anytime soon.
Athletic director Gene Taylor says K-State has agreed to a three-year extension with the athletic apparel company that will keep the Wildcats in Nike gear until at least 2024.
K-State and Nike quietly decided to continue their business relationship last month when their old contract, which lasted nine years, expired on Aug. 25. Both sides are still hammering out the fine details on their new deal, but Taylor said financial terms aren’t expected to significantly change.
A copy of K-State’s old apparel contract shows that Nike was providing K-State with nearly $2 million worth of product every year. That Nike product ranges from shoes and uniforms for student-athletes to shirts and jackets for athletic staffers, basically anything a member of the Wildcat athletic department needs to look good, feel good and play good on game day.
Taylor said K-State opted for a short-term extension with Nike instead of negotiating a longer deal or exploring partnership options with other apparel providers because of the coronavirus pandemic. At first, they discussed a long-term arrangement. But when COVID arrived a simpler apparel deal suddenly made more sense.
“Instead of getting into a long, drawn out negotiation for an extended deal in terms of a number of years we just extended it a couple years with a lot of the same numbers,” Taylor said.
The Wildcats also love being associated with the Nike brand.
“They’re a good product and they have been very good to us,” Taylor said. “They’ve been a great partner and our coaches still prefer Nike. So we just kind of went with them.”
As of now, Taylor seems committed to Nike beyond 2024. But he did say the Wildcats might consider other apparel providers such as Adidas and Under Armour if those companies show interest during K-State’s next negotiating window.
Much depends on how the apparel landscape looks in three years.
Big 12 members are expected to receive less money in the form of conference distribution after Oklahoma and Texas leave for the SEC. So it makes sense for K-State to listen to lucrative offers if they present themselves.
In the meantime, K-State’s extension with Nike brings a popular question back to the forefront.
When should fans expect new uniforms for the K-State football team?
Chris Klieman said he intended to mix in the occasional alternate uniform with the team’s traditional look of silver pants, purple jerseys and silver helmets. And he delivered in his first season by wearing all white uniforms at the Liberty Bowl and debuting a white helmet that featured the word “Cats” written in script instead of a powercat logo.
The Wildcats have reverted back to their classic uniforms for every game since, though. Klieman has blamed COVID for that, saying that a reduction in work force has made it much longer than usual to get new product from Nike at the moment.
But the K-State men’s basketball team has rolled out several new uniforms over the past few seasons, including its popular (at least with K-State fans) lavender shorts and jerseys. Other Nike football teams have also debuted new looks this season.
It’s possible superstitions have played a factor. K-State went 8-5 in Klieman’s first year in Manhattan, but many of those five losses came while the Wildcats were wearing alternate looks.
Taylor isn’t sure when K-State will try something different again.
“That’s a good question,” he said. “Obviously, it takes a couple of years to really change or add a new uniform in terms of design and then manufacturing and all that. I know they have talked about some looks and feels of what might be out there. But this year we went back to wearing our normal, traditional uniform. I’m not saying that (new uniforms) isn’t going to happen. I think it will. It’s just right now I think Chris is focused on staying traditional. It’s working. But we will see what happens from there.”
New Nike apparel has been popular in Manhattan in recent years.
So much so, that K-State fans have complained that there isn’t enough product available for purchase to keep up with demand. Working with Nike to get more K-State gear in the market place and to generate excitement with new designs is a priority moving forward.
But they also want to be smart about any new uniforms they produce with Nike over the next three years.
“We’re going to be conscious of not getting too far away from our normal look,” Taylor said. “We’re not going to be wearing black anytime soon. We don’t want anything too crazy. It’s still going to be our main colors and look. We want people to know that’s K-State on the field.”
This story was originally published September 28, 2021 at 11:45 AM with the headline "Why K-State extended its Nike apparel deal and what that could mean for new uniforms."