On Aug. 1, Michigan officially became the first college football program to partner with Jordan Brand, as it unveiled new uniforms, cleats and merchandise draped with the Jumpman logo. The official terms of the deal could net the Wolverines more than $173 million over the next 15 years, but it will have a more far-reaching impact than that.
Jordan Brand uniforms for the University of Michigan football team: pic.twitter.com/oyjHMa9w3i
— Heidi Burgett (@heidiburgett) August 2, 2016
Programs are always looking for an advantage on the recruiting trail, whether it is touting its resume of sending players to the National Football League or showing off its latest gear. Oregon, for example, took its partnership with Nike — and company founder and chairman and Phil Knight, a university alumnus — and turned itself into a national power through flashy uniforms and exclusive apparel.
“It helped us get visits from kids that were four-star and five-star [prospects],” former Ducks defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti told USA TODAY Sports. “Way back when we were second-class citizens, coaches would say, 'Don't even look at these guys because they're not for you … Now, when we show up, we have the strongest hand … We carry the largest trump card.”
Michigan's association with Jordan — a Nike subsidiary — has similar value. The Jumpman logo is one of the most recognizable designs in the world. And while Michael Jordan is seemingly known by today's generation as a meme instead of as the best basketball player ever, his brand still holds weight in the footwear industry.
“It's some swagger that comes with that Nike swoosh and that Jordan Jumpman,” Michigan athletic director Reuben Jones told The Detroit News. “People spend so much — $200, $300 for Jordans just for the brand — just for the Jumpman. I think it's just the idea of having it.”
Winning games is what matters most to recruits. But as difficult may be to comprehend and as outlandish as it may seem, partnering with Jordan Brand will undoubtedly help Michigan when it comes to landing top prospects.
Will it be the factor that ultimately sways a four- or five-star prospect to Ann Arbor? Not necessarily. But having the chance to be a member of the only program in the country wearing exclusive shoes and gear will certainly provide each recruit with something to think about as he wades through the recruiting process.
Ohio State, on the other hand, just re-upped with Nike when it signed a 15-year, $252 million contract extension earlier this year. It was the largest such agreement in college football history at the time, though it has since been surpassed by UCLA's 15-year, $280 million deal.
Considered by the company as one of its three elite schools — Michigan and Texas being the others — the Buckeyes have enjoyed being outfitted in the latest cleats and uniform templates for several years now. And, without a doubt, Ohio State recognizes what such a partnership entails.
“Recruits are impressionable today and have a great deal of materialistic interests. So reality is we're going to respond to that,” Ohio State Vice President and Director of Athletics Gene Smith said after the Buckeyes unveiled all-black uniforms last October. “Our job, our core mission is our student-athletes that we serve, first and foremost. And that includes the recruits were trying to attract.”
One question that begs asking, then, is whether or not the program can make itself even more appealing to 17- and 18-year-old kids?
One possibility would be to work out an apparel deal with noted Ohio State fan LeBron James. Not only does the Cleveland Cavalier already have his own locker inside the Schottenstein Center that's used to show potential basketball recruits his relationship with that program, he also has an open invitation from head football coach Urban Meyer to attend any game he wants. The foundation is already in place.
LeBron "hooked up" Ohio State with exclusive shoes for the season (via @OhioStateHoops). https://t.co/WuIQ3xgHbu pic.twitter.com/aOt7UKueZw
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) December 3, 2015
Imagine LeBron's crown logo (already a Nike proprietary mark) replacing the Nike logo on Ohio State's uniforms — or even better, placed squarely above the Block “O” on the collar to signify a national championship. Don't think recruits would eat that up?
The only retort to that, of course, is that the Buckeyes are already recruiting and playing at such a high level that any resulting benefit would likely go unnoticed.
Meanwhile in Ann Arbor, Michigan is looking to reassert itself among college football's elite programs. The Wolverines were already on the right track under head coach Jim Harbaugh, and their partnership with Jordan Brand will only bring them closer to their that goal.
If you're still skeptical, just ask Oregon what such a relationship can do for a dormant program.
