Sept. 1, 1996

Blaine Newnham column: Husky athletics seek to join wave of commercially elite

The swoosh is subtle, but substantial, etched just above the heart on Shane Fortney's jersey as he poses for a picture.

Gil Dobie, the legendary Washington coach of another era, would wince at the commercial intrusion.

"It's none of my business," said Fortney, the quarterback, when asked about his role in marketing Nike, the sporting-goods giant.

But, undeniably, it is big business, one Washington wants to get into.

The Huskies are a little pregnant, committed to Nike through 1997 for football, but in the market for one of the million-dollar deals Nike and Reebok have done with a handful of elite schools.

In return for wearing the swoosh on UW uniforms and the Nike coaching apparel on the sidelines, the Oregon-based company supplies an estimated $75,000 in uniforms and shoes for football, plus pays $35,000 to Coach Jim Lambright.

The university sees it as compensation for Lambright it doesn't have to make; indeed, that it can give to the women's golf coach or the men's baseball team. It also sees shoes, jerseys, gloves, wristbands, socks, T-shirts, coaching shirts and jackets it doesn't have to buy.

"We don't believe in over-commercialization," said Barbara Hedges, the UW athletic director. "If you look at our stadium, you can see that. We're careful.

"As far as I'm concerned, the Nike logo on the uniform is tasteful. It doesn't jump off the page at you. The key is balance, what do you get and what do you give."

What the Huskies are getting is modest compared with the all-sports deals struck by others. Nike is aligned with 11 schools, Reebok three. The biggest contract appears to be one Nike struck last year with Ohio State worth $9.25 million for five years.

Nike agreed to provide footwear and apparel for 34 sports, valued at about $1 million per year. It will also pay $725,000 annually to compensate coaches, plus $25,000 for computer equipment in the athletic counseling department.

At Florida State, Nike pays $250,000 a year to supplement the salary of football Coach Bobby Bowden.

"There is no question," said Hedges, "that it would be in the best interest of the University of Washington to have an all-sports deal."

But the companies seem less excited about such arrangements than do the Huskies. A spokesman for Reebok, the Boston-based company that has all-sports deals with Texas, UCLA and Wisconsin, said his company wasn't involved in any serious discussion with Washington.

Nike wouldn't comment beyond the statement that it hoped to continue its football relationship with Washington.

"An all-sports agreement only makes sense if there is a viable market for selling licensed merchandise bearing the emblem of the university," said Dave Fogelson of Reebok. "These deals have to do with how often a school is on television, how likely it is to get to a major bowl game or be in the NCAA basketball tournament."

Clearly this is a situation of the rich getting richer. The Nike lineup is formidable: Florida State, Michigan, North Carolina, USC, Penn State, Colorado, Ohio State, Illinois, Alabama, Miami and Oregon.

"The U of O (Oregon) is a bit of a different case for us," said Keith Peters of Nike. "We are happy to remind people the roots of our company are deep in the University of Oregon."

The Nike relationship with Oregon - Nike CEO Phil Knight was a runner at Oregon - may well work against Washington. Another drawback is the lack of success - and exposure - for the UW basketball program.

On the other hand, Washington has consistently been among the top 25 percent in sale of athletic-related merchandising, reaching a high of $1.25 million in royalties after the undefeated football season in 1991.

But business has been off recently, not just at Washington, but everywhere.

"We rode the boom like everyone else," said David VanDerHyde, director of trademark and licensing for the UW, "but the market has shifted. The teens and pre-teens no longer want the identification with sports teams."

No longer does every kid standing on a street corner wear a Dolphin jacket, a Georgetown sweatshirt or a Husky T-shirt. White T-shirts and flannel have replaced them. The market for college stuff once again belongs to college grads and fans.

"We're looking to more upscale items, subtle emblems on polo shirts, even oxford, cotton shirts," said VanDerHyde.

The UW did $420,000 in royalties last year. It receives 7 percent of stuff sold and, according to VanDerHyde, is thankful for the football team's association with Nike, especially the likelihood of selling coaching sideline apparel.

The UW has concluded a deal with Adidas for shoes for the men's basketball team. Other sports have other deals. Hedges would like to see one all-inclusive deal go to one company for major dollars.

Fortney, the quarterback, said he doesn't feel like a billboard wearing the Nike swoosh. His generation grew up wearing logos, often ones they paradoxically had to pay to wear.

This time the swoosh is free. Well, sort of.