Expert Roundtable: Uniform Partnerships

How important was it to be a first-mover on this new revenue opportunity?

Chad Briscoe (Grace) - One of our pillars in the Grace athletic department is Christian excellence, and pursuing that excellence hopefully creates opportunities to be an industry leader at times both on and off the field of athletic competition. This was a great opportunity to be at the forefront of a new initiative in the NAIA, which fortunately worked out for our institution. 

Robyn Daugherty (John Brown) - I think approaching potential sponsors as quickly as possible after the legislation passed gave us the opportunity to really tailor the sponsorship to what works for us and what works for the vendor. Without historical data in place, it really gives you the opportunity to bring creativity and flexibility to an agreement.

Kristin Gillette (Park (MO)) - The importance for us was that this new opportunity generated revenue to relieve our operations budget. Finding a sponsor that could financially support our program allowed us to extend our uniform budget line further.

Ashley Walyuchow (Houston-Victoria) - It wasn’t important to strike while the iron was hot. I have long been a proponent of advertising on uniforms and pitched a proposal to the NAIA years ago that was not approved. I think as long as we don’t look like NASCAR and it is done tastefully with the parameters the NAIA put in place, it’s a logical move to increase the revenue we need in small college athletics, especially with the inflation we have been seeing.

What motivated the decision to seek out a uniform partnership?

Briscoe (Grace) - One of the many things I love about being a member of the NAIA is that they are always on the cutting edge of innovation and forward thinking in intercollegiate athletics. When the sponsorship opportunity was passed at the convention in Kansas City last April, I met with our President Dr. Drew Flamm and assistant athletic directors, and we began the discussion of exploring potential partnerships to see if we could find a uniform sponsor. 

Daugherty (John Brown) - For JBU, we really saw the financial value. With inflation really impacting our budgets, we knew that if we could find sponsors to fund our uniforms, we could continue to provide our student-athletes with the same level of equipment and supplies. 

Gillette (Park (MO)) - The motivation is the win-win combination for the company and our athletics department. Anytime we can grow a relationship and the visibility of a company in our community, which then improves the student-athlete experience, is a win.

Walyuchow (Houston-Victoria) - The opportunity to help our team budgets. Some discussions have taken longer than others, such as golf, because the costs are more significant. Golf was a quicker pitch and answer than say teams with larger uniform numbers, as the cost of those sponsorships is higher.

Why did you decide to sign a sport-specific or all-encompassing uniform partnership?

Briscoe (Grace) - Building unity within our department has always been a priority for our culture. As we thought about this partnership, we discussed all options: do we all of our sports have a separate sponsors or do we explore finding one sponsor for all our programs? In the end, we felt it was best to find a sponsor that would serve as the sponsor for all our programs.

Daugherty (John Brown) - As I thought about uniform sponsors, I was open to either, but I knew that the number of businesses that could do a department-wide sponsorship was limited. I also wanted this to be an opportunity for a real partnership between a sport and a business – where there were shared interests and benefits for both.

Gillette (Park (MO)) - Unfortunately, we were not in a position yet to have that relationship ready to roll for all-encompassing. So, for us, we are working with companies that have a team connection. We are equipping our coaches with materials and a value proposition to assist in connecting these partnerships.

Walyuchow (Houston-Victoria) - For us, it made sense to do it this way. We didn’t really identify one sponsor that we felt could do all our uniforms. 

Walk us through this sales process. Who all was involved? Did you seek out this specific partner for this opportunity?

Briscoe (Grace) - We are fortunate in Winona Lake/Warsaw, Indiana, to be called the Orthopedic Capital of the World. We are blessed to have two Fortune 500 companies in our community. Our President Dr. Drew Flamm has very close connections and partnerships within the community, and we wanted to leverage those connections as we put together the sponsorship opportunity. We did seek out Zimmer Biomet as the exclusive partner for this historic uniform sponsorship. As I have shared from the beginning, this partnership was about more than financial support/gain. Our community is very close and working with the Orthopaedic companies, we have many internship opportunities for our students, class experiences for our students to learn from leaders in the industry and ongoing collaboration with many projects that enhance our community and campus.

Daugherty (John Brown) - I began by talking to coaches and letting them be involved as much as they wanted to. And, as someone who has been at JBU for 30+ years and in this community for 40+ years, I felt I could identify some possibilities. For our first sponsorship, the XCTF coaches led the process, and I gave advice as we moved through the negotiation, but there is no way this would have happened without the coaches being heavily involved. For our second sponsorship, I was the main contact and worked directly with the business contact, while also making sure the coach had input on all the details. For our third sponsorship, which is currently in the early stages, the head coach and a former student-athlete are working together on details. My input at this point is to ensure it’s a fair partnership/sponsorship and it’s built with the same foundational principles as the others. Each sport’s uniform pricing varies, with some having home/away and some with just one jersey. Some sponsors may want to look at pre-game warm-up options in addition to uniforms. Bottom line: we want the sponsor to feel good about the advertising they are receiving. We don’t want it to just be a “money grab” mentality. It was also important to us to have the sponsor logo sublimated into our jersey. We wanted to be able to offer the sponsorship for the life of the jersey — not just a patch for a year.

Gillette (Park (MO)) - Park Athletics took the last two years to develop a strategic plan that now provides us direction and gives us a clear message to share. Our Pirate Fund has launched and our staff is equipped to take advantage of rule changes such as this. We have been hard at work developing a relationship and work flow with our advancement office to help us make the asks and then provide the appropriate donor paperwork.

But honestly, Coach Jason Kline has the relationship with Hardscape Construction. They wanted to support his program. It is a three-year agreement with the sponsorship dollars being paid over the three years. It took several dinners and some Pirate gear, but it was clear they wanted to support our student athletes.

Walyuchow (Houston-Victoria) - We looked at the cost of uniforms for each sport and put a value on the exposure that 2.5 million impressions we generate via social media would bring, as most of the exposure would be in pictures used in stories, recaps and social posts, and what that would bring to a potential sponsor, and then set a price point that we feel is a win-win for the sponsor and our department. For golf, we approached our golf course partners as an obvious first right of refusal, and 2 of the 3 courses we use jumped on board immediately. I involved the coaches in talking with the head pros at the courses as they have established relationships. The dollars raised help operations and stretch our budget by covering the cost of the uniforms.

Have received any push back from faculty/staff, student-athletes, or alumni?

Briscoe (Grace) - We have only received great feedback and support from our campus community, student-athletes and alumni. We have many alumni who work in the orthopedic world and have shared their great support for this new opportunity. 

Daugherty (John Brown) - I have not received any pushback at this time. I have had to explain to some in our community about the size restriction of the logo. Some watch a lot of professional sports and see the large logos and text and how it diminishes a team name.

Gillette (Park (MO)) - We have only received positive feedback. 

Walyuchow (Houston-Victoria) - So far, it has been well received by all stakeholders.

What will the impact of this partnership be on your department?

Briscoe (Grace) - The impact has been great to continue to share about Grace College and all the Lord is doing on our campus in Winona Lake, IN, as we prepare students to impact the world for Christ. The funding will go to continue to support our 19 varsity athletic programs.

Daugherty (John Brown) - At this time, the funds stay within the sport that wears the sponsored uniform. As I said before, at this time, these sponsorships are helping our teams continue to provide the same amount of equipment and supplies as in the past, even though costs have risen.

Gillette (Park (MO)) - The first year covers the cost of the uniforms. Year 2 & 3 will help us fill in any additional uniforms needed. With these expenses covered, it allows us to stretch our dollars for items that we typically have to ask the students to fundraise. It is a relief to the school and family and friends that do not have to be asked for additional dollars. 

Walyuchow (Houston-Victoria) - I am hoping once we get this established, potential sponsors will be lining up to be associated with us in this way. The funds will be used for operational support.

What lessons would you give to your peers about signing a uniform partnership?

Briscoe (Grace) - The NAIA helping member institutions generate additional revenue streams is a tremendous opportunity for athletic department growth. I would encourage building relationships with those in your area/community who might have a desire to give back to your institution. It is important to show the potential partner what their logo looks like on the uniform and the success on and off the field/court that your athletic teams have built. We talked about academic success, being a champion of character institution and the service our teams provide in the community. I would also share the return on their investment at our level is not TV exposure but it is life impact and being associated with an institution who is pursuing excellence and impact lives to be future leaders in the world. 

Daugherty (John Brown) - Go into this as a partnership, not just a sponsorship. Be open to unique, creative ideas that bring value to both the institution and the sponsor.

Gillette (Park (MO)) - Take a look at your sphere of influence and ask the question, where is there a win-win combination? We are asking that same question throughout the department to help provide the same experience for all teams in our department. Other items to consider: 

• Work with your sports information and communications offices to understand visibility metrics for all of your assets.
• Know your uniform expense line history.
• Make the ask.

Walyuchow (Houston-Victoria) - Be realistic. We are not D1 programs with six-figure donors hanging around. Be realistic with your valuations. The money you receive will allow your dollars budgeted for uniforms to go further as the sponsorship at our school will pay for the uniforms and help operations.