By Mike Pearson
FightingIllini.com
During the 2020-21 season, the partnership between the UI's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and NIKE, Inc. marks its silver anniversary. Part three of this series includes insights from Fighting Illini coaches about Nike's products and the company's massively influential marketing campaign.
When asked about the impact and influence that Nike, Inc. has had upon Fighting Illini athletics during their 25-year affiliation, soccer coach Janet Rayfield paused for a second, then snickered.
"I'm laughing right now because I look down and everything I'm wearing has a swoosh on it," she said.
Undoubtedy, Rayfield isn't the only one who's been "swooshed". A September report by Statista Research indicated that a large proportion of Americans own Nike brand apparel, accounting for nearly $16 billion in sales in 2019. That's an increase of more than 230 percent since 2010.
Young folks, including about 500 Illini student-athletes, are increasingly leaning toward "casual fashion", an area in which Nike specializes. According to former UI equipment manager Andy Dixon, Nike's popularity began years ago.
"Back in the day," Dixon said, "if you polled a hundred of our student-athletes, 99 would have chosen Nike. It was definitely a trend for the young athletes to wear Nike."
Current Illini head baseball coach Dan Hartleb calls Nike "a magic name".
"When you study what Nike does from a branding and advertising standpoint, it seems as though there's something new on the market every day," Hartleb said. "When you look at their website, there's apparel and footwear for every category … from skateboarding to baseball and basketball and football and running. There are some very simple designs, but it varies to what some would consider to be really wild designs. They've done a great job of marketing to the youth and the older consumer as well."
According to Rayfield, it's that ever-evolving variety that makes Nike the first brand to explore, especially for females.
"When I played," she said, "there was only one type of cleat … and you probably had to get a kids' size in order to make it fit my foot. I had a teammate in college that had to buy a nylon kids shoe because her foot was a size four. We couldn't find a quality shoe because not many male players had feet that small. Now, you've got all sorts of different materials, so the athlete really has some options in terms of what not just fits their foot but what they think gives them the feel and support that they want to be able to perform. When it comes to striking a ball and having a touch on a ball, everyone has a little bit different preference. Nike has really expanded their line to accommodate not just the different foot size but what players feel like they need to compete well."
That wide assortment for the female athlete also pertains to non-shoe apparel.
"Nike has been a company that's been at the forefront of product and innovation, both in the world of soccer and in the world of women's athletics,' Rayfield said. "Nike had some of the first women-specific uniforms, but I think they've also been a leader in terms of really making sure that their apparel and gear fits not only the casual female person, but is really geared toward the college athlete that has the same aspirations of playing professionally. That's been an important part of it for me and for our program."
Hartleb and Rayfield agree that the University of Illinois's association with Nike has provided Illini coaches with a distinct recruiting advantage.
"When recruits know that they're going to be outfitted from head to toe and have up-to-date technology in terms of the footwear and Nike's Dri-FIT materials, it's definitely something that we use in recruiting," Hartleb said. "It's given us great exposure."
"Absolutely, our association with Nike give us a recruiting advantage," Rayfield said. "We walk out into the recruiting field decked out in Nike and it makes a statement. We ask, 'Hey, are you a Nike person?' and they say 'Absolutely!' Then, you know you're in the door from that standpoint."
Young athletes are also very cognizant of Nike's loyalty to superstar clients and their causes. For many of them, Nike is not only a commodity, but also a statement. Today's consumers demand that.
"Brand image is such a huge part of corporate America right now and that's certainly true throughout the athletics side," Rayfield said. "Nike has been conscious of its brand from the beginning and it's conscious of the athletes they bring into their brand and the message that they present. Soccer's closest association with that is Mia Hamm. I know what she stands for has always been important to her and important to Nike."
Hartleb agrees.
"Nike is not just a U.S. market, it's a worldwide market," he said. "They have a great awareness of what's happening around the world and view things from many different angles. Nike has done a very good job of supporting their athletes and they've used their platform as an awareness for many issues."
UI Director of Athletics Josh Whitman looks forward to extending Illinois's relationship with Nike far into the future.
"We're one of only a handful of schools that was involved with Nike's initial partnership group," Whitman said. "That's pretty special. Over the years, we've challenged each other to be creative, to think about new ideas in innovative ways, and to try and advance the interest of both our program and the Nike brand. It's been a fun partnership and certainly one that's been incredibly beneficial for the University and for Illini athletics."
