Written by Charles McElyea, Staff Reporter
Photo by Chase Green
Photo Subject: Abby Rector
Bryan has been in a contract and partnership with Adidas and The Athletic Shop in Chattanooga since the beginning of the 2022 Fall semester. This deal makes them the primary provider of all athletic wear for Bryan College Athletics.
The Athletic department assembled a task force that spent a total of two months searching for the right partnership. After finding Adidas, the negotiations took approximately two weeks. Bryan’s contract with Adidas was set for a two-year period. During the first year, Bryan incorporated Adidas into their programs. The Athletic Department to use Adidas gear fully and solely during the second year. Bryan sports now had access to new jerseys and gear.
They [Adidas] were very generous in making sure that we had what we needed to make that turn going over from Nike other brands that were in the department because we didn’t have a contract before. We had a partnership but not a contract.” Swafford said.
While Adidas and The Athletic Shop worked very hard to make it possible, there are always setbacks. Covid left places like Adidas and The Athletic Shop with fewer workers to have the ability to provide Bryan with the right gear and apparel that they needed.
As well as having someone who could print everything for them, Bryan had to search continuously over a span of two months to find the perfect relationship that met the needs of the athletic department in terms of athletic wear and cost. Swafford spoke highly of the work and care that Adidas put into our jerseys as well as the work The Athletic Shop put into making this deal possible for the school. She talked about how it may have been harder for Bryan to find a deal with Adidas.
“I believe it would have been if we didn’t have the partnership with The Athletic Shop. So, they’re the ones who worked directly with Adidas, who worked out the details, who allowed us to negotiate and push back and forth about things we needed specific to us. But they handled that. They handled the talk and so that certainly gives us a louder voice. It amplifies our voice whenever we have that partner,” Swafford said.
Swafford said that the Athletic Department had fun with their relationship with Adidas. They are continuing their partnership past the two-year mark. They get to have more freedom with designs and colors that allows them to express the new era of Bryan Athletics.