Hypothetical UNC Tar Heels not with nike

[Hambone792]

UNC currently has a nike deal.
Jordan brand is included in this for basketball.

Is there any chance another brand (i.e. Under Armour) could pick up a deal with UNC, or would Nike block this at all costs because of the Jordan connection?

p.s. I am writing a paper for class and would love to hear opinions of some people who are invested in uniforms/logos/branding.

[bigmike]

It most likely depends on the contract they have with Nike/Jordan and how long that lasts, whenever their contract runs out then Under Armor or Adidas could try to outbid Nike for a new contract but given UNC's ties to Nike/Jordan I don't see them being outbid by another company to do so.

[guest23]

some public schools are now being forced into accepting either the highest offer when receiving funds or selecting the lowest bid to pay for services which could complicate the nike-unc relationship if they got massively outbid but I see this as a a very remote possibility

[dfwabel]

This is the most likely starting point for the discussion, some terms of the current Nike/UNC contract.

 

Any switch it will be necessary for UNC to increase all three prongs: cash, merchandise value (product), and their royalty rate, .  Tennessee was going to receive more cash from adidas, but still opted for Nike

 

Keep in mind, when Under Armour signed Notre Dame, the university received stock.  Not sure if that will fly within a state school 

[JPDesign]

In my mind, there's no way UNC moves away from Nike/Jordan. Being Michael Jordan's alma mater is a huge reason why. It'd almost be like Oregon switching to Adidas, not quite on the same scale, but I don't think it will ever happen simply because of MJ.

[CLEstones]

UNC would have to be offered some outrageous figure for them to switch from Nike... and even then, I would think they would work something out to keep Jordan representing their basketball team, similar to how Baylor had Nike for football and Adidas for basketball the last few seasons.

 

North Carolina basketball is one of those transcendent college teams where their brand is recognized across the country (this coming from a Duke basketball fan)... their identity is tied directly to their history, their legend, their mystique.  They are FOREVER linked to the greatest player to ever lace 'em up.  This isn't Dwayne Wade and Marquette, this isn't Tim Duncan and Wake Forest.  Yes, those guys are Hall of Famers and great players... but you aren't talking about THE GUY, ever... you aren't even talking top 10 players all time.

 

It would be a tremendous hit to the brand and identity of North Carolina to NOT be tied to Jordan... it would be a downright blunder.  It may not be like the Celtics and the parquet floor, or the Yankees and the pinstripes, but you remember Babe Ruth with the Yankees, not the Red Sox, you remember Favre with the Packers, not the Jets or Vikings.  You associate players to colors, to uniforms, to patterns.  You associate Jordan with North Carolina.  You associate North Carolina with Jordan.

[guest23]

1 hour ago, CLEstones said:

UNC would have to be offered some outrageous figure for them to switch from Nike... and even then, I would think they would work something out to keep Jordan representing their basketball team, similar to how Baylor had Nike for football and Adidas for basketball the last few seasons.

 

North Carolina basketball is one of those transcendent college teams where their brand is recognized across the country (this coming from a Duke basketball fan)... their identity is tied directly to their history, their legend, their mystique.  They are FOREVER linked to the greatest player to ever lace 'em up.  This isn't Dwayne Wade and Marquette, this isn't Tim Duncan and Wake Forest.  Yes, those guys are Hall of Famers and great players... but you aren't talking about THE GUY, ever... you aren't even talking top 10 players all time.

 

It would be a tremendous hit to the brand and identity of North Carolina to NOT be tied to Jordan... it would be a downright blunder.  It may not be like the Celtics and the parquet floor, or the Yankees and the pinstripes, but you remember Babe Ruth with the Yankees, not the Red Sox, you remember Favre with the Packers, not the Jets or Vikings.  You associate players to colors, to uniforms, to patterns.  You associate Jordan with North Carolina.  You associate North Carolina with Jordan.

 

Your analogies does not work. Michael Jordan is not the same as Jordan Brand (owned by nike inc). This is more like mcdonalds selling coca-cola and switching to pepsi.

 

Jordan would still be free to associate with the university regardless of who the primary athletics supplier is. Any refusal to do so would be his choice and not the university's. Same would apply to phil knight and the ducks.

 

As stated earlier given the long standing relationship and the the significant amount of association between the two parties (i.e. brand synergy), it would be unwise for either party to dissolve the relationship unless some egregious behavior happens on one side or a school is legally bound to take a higher bid from a competitor.

[Hambone792]

this is all really great insight.

 

 I find it extremely intriguing where  under armour could be headed next in the NCAA.
Nike holds so many current deals, but they will most likley have to sacrifice a few of them in the future.

I picked UNC for this topic because of both the brand and personal connection of Jordan, I cant forsee it being easy or cheap for any brand trying to strike a deal with the Tar Heels

[MJWalker45]

The only way I see Nike stepping away is if adidas or UA throw a ridiculous amount of money, like they did with Manchester United. 

[Shadojoker]

Simply put..Michael Jordan would NEVER allow it! @JPDesign is right on the money. It's too close to home and his organization  (Hornets). Jordan is still involved with UNC,coaches,staff and alumni events. If you think differently your mistaken. UNC popularity blew up overall because of MJ. His product line,and everything stems from it. UNC was one of the 1st teams to be sponsored by Jordan (Georgetown,and Marquette?) 

 

 

[CLEstones]

20 hours ago, guest23 said:

 

Your analogies does not work. Michael Jordan is not the same as Jordan Brand (owned by nike inc). This is more like mcdonalds selling coca-cola and switching to pepsi.

 

Jordan would still be free to associate with the university regardless of who the primary athletics supplier is. Any refusal to do so would be his choice and not the university's. Same would apply to phil knight and the ducks.

 

As stated earlier given the long standing relationship and the the significant amount of association between the two parties (i.e. brand synergy), it would be unwise for either party to dissolve the relationship unless some egregious behavior happens on one side or a school is legally bound to take a higher bid from a competitor.

 

I don't think the McDonald's switch from Coke to Pepsi analogy works any better... if not worse.  It would work if McDonald's, already established, well known, but not iconic... invented a beverage, that then when on to be recognized as the best soft drink ever, where every other soft drink or beverage is then compared to that beverage... it becomes an icon, a legend... then all of a sudden, that iconic beverage turns around and decides to end its distribution with McDonald's and switch to Burger King/Taco Bell/Chipotle/Wendy's.

 

Jordan and UNC aren't and should never be mutually exclusive.  As you said, its synergy.

[Brauny1280]

I would imagine that somewhere in the current Nike/Jordan contract they get the option to match any offer from another company. Much like a restricted free-agent in football or another sport. With that being said, there is no way that UNC will be leaving Nike/Jordan in any foreseeable future. The Tar Heels are Nike's bread and butter now that Miami left to go to Adidas. I do look for Under Armour to land a lot more big name schools in the next year or so. Getting Notre Dame was huge and they have jumped Adidas as the number two apparel/uniform supplier for college athletics. 

[guest23]

6 hours ago, CLEstones said:

 

I don't think the McDonald's switch from Coke to Pepsi analogy works any better... if not worse.  It would work if McDonald's, already established, well known, but not iconic... invented a beverage, that then when on to be recognized as the best soft drink ever, where every other soft drink or beverage is then compared to that beverage... it becomes an icon, a legend... then all of a sudden, that iconic beverage turns around and decides to end its distribution with McDonald's and switch to Burger King/Taco Bell/Chipotle/Wendy's.

 

Jordan and UNC aren't and should never be mutually exclusive.  As you said, its synergy.

 

What you're saying does not really make sense as you're associating nike/jordan brand and mj as the same entity which is absolutely not the case. My analogy works in the sense that mcd/unc are the client brands coke/nike are the supplier brands. Both are iconic brands that have longtime supplier relationships with equally iconic brands and should those relationships be terminated some very positive brand synergy would be lost.