Kansas Basketball: Adidas deal one of most lucrative in the nation
By Chris Taylor
Forbes Magazine recently released the 20 most valuable college apparel deals. The Jayhawks, thanks to Kansas Basketball, were 12th on the list with Adidas.
Kansas Basketball is the primary reason for being on this Forbes list, for obvious reasons. Kansas is a basketball school. The Jayhawks join fellow Big 12 schools Oklahoma and Texas on this very lucrative list. A list that comes with a shade of grey area as well.
In September of 2017, athletic director Sheahon Zenger announced an extension with Adidas that will give the University of Kansas $191 million in sponsorship over the next 14 years. Four days after the deal was revealed, associates for Adidas were charged with fraud. You may have heard of the FBI investigation.
Although Kansas was mentioned in the FBI scandal, it appears that the bite is closer to that of a mosquito than that of a shark, which is good news for Kansas and all involved with the program.
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There is another school with strong ties to Adidas. Louisville came in 2nd on the list, and as many know, corruption and scandal surrounded the program before basketball season started. This led to the firing of Rick Pitino. Kansas does not want to be Louisville at the moment.
However large or small the concern is for Kansas, this is truly a testament to the strength of Kansas Basketball. Unlike the other schools on this list, Kansas is the prominent basketball school with very little national exposure coming from the other programs such as football or baseball. The Jayhawks are truly a dominant force on the court.
Kansas itself has an influence all by themselves, with their history and prestige. Also, the dominance in conference has been quite persuasive. The addition of a megadeal with Adidas only adds to the attractiveness of wanting to play for the Jayhawks.
The list by Forbes takes into consideration cash received, product allotment and retail. Kansas is already a household name when college basketball is concerned. Pulling up in a nice pair of shiny Adidas shoes only adds to what the Jayhawks flaunt.
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Being associated with the shoe company has raised plenty of eyebrows, as people assume the worst with the Louisville fiasco. As far as money signs go, having Adidas in your front pocket makes for a great day at the bank.