Professional Athletes and their love for HBCUs Continue to March Forward
This past month, Florida A&M University and Nike Inc. announced a partnership that features a six-year deal for the shoe giant to be the official athletic footwear, apparel and equipment provider for the Rattlers.
This contract goes into effect on July 1.
Florida A&M has been with Nike since 2016, when the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) deal with Russell athletics expired, a deal the conference signed with the shoe and clothing brand in 2004.
“FAMU is an elite institution with a rich tradition of firsts and our student-athletes deserve an experience that is second-to-none,” FAMU Vice President/Director of Athletics Kortne Gosha said in a statement.
“My executive team and I are focused on setting a new standard. Our top priority is to align with the best quality and most innovative products, brands and resources. This partnership allowed us to reimagine and challenge the norms of our industry.”
FAMU teams will be outfitted in LeBron James uniforms and apparel. This includes footwear explicitly designed for the university as part of this relationship.
Since last May, during the George Floyd protests, the NBA and its players have been at the forefront of giving back to historically black colleges and universities. They have used their power and influence to give back to underprivileged communities.
LeBron James is not the only player who is willing to shine the light on HBCUs. NBA star guard, Chris Paul, has been very vocal about how HBCUs are “important in our history.” He even gave HBCUs a shout out through his in-game apparel during the 2019-2020 NBA bubble in Orlando.
He also released a docu-series on ESPN+ about the North Central Carolina University men’s basketball team. It was personal for him because both of his parents attended Winston-Salem State, and because he enrolled as a student last year. Several players from his AAU team have also played for NCCU.
In addition to servicing the 14 sports programs, Nike will supply apparel for the Marching 100.
It means more to the FAMU marching band, or the Marching 100, as they are famously called. The Marching 100 was actually featured in the NBA All-Star game in February. They performed during the NBA All-Star player introductions from their respective campus.
This new partnership is extremely significant to how more HBCUs like FAMU are receiving funding or major branding from either high-profile athletes or companies to help The Marching 100 and other programs similar to it.
Joseph Jones, a 2019 FAMU graduate and former Marching 100 member, said “it’s amazing” that a person like Lebron is giving back to his alma-mater.
“I think it’s amazing. I think, especially in the times that we’re in today. We’re starting to bring light to how great, you know, our schools are, especially our HBCUs and how we come up with the best of them,” Jones said. “I think the fact that we have somebody world-class [as] LeBron James coming back to my Alma mater…I think that that’s very fitting, you know, that shows that we’re worthy of that prestige and it was great to see.
Nike also promised to support not just student-athlete development, but programs for internships and networking opportunities for all FAMU students.
Jones also added that HBCUs have a lot of great programs that aren’t getting support. “Programs are dying because of the fact that we’re not getting that funding that we need,” he said. “So, you know, hopefully this kind of brings light to the fact that we need more resources.”
TJ Lovely, a famous drum instructor and current assistant instructor for percussion, said FAMU and LeBron teaming up is helpful for both sides.
“I think that when it comes to the band, I think it definitely helps us well. I think that also helps LeBron’s brand a lot more because with the [Marching one] hundred…the hundred is an international brand,” Lovely said. So, when they come to see marching bands and just fans as a whole, it’s just a very recognizable brand. LeBron actually teaming up with us…it’s just crazy.”
Lovely also added that today’s climate has attributed more recognition to the needs of HBCUs. “I know it’s a lot of high-profile people that did recognize it. I think the culture in which we’re in today with everything that we have going on between black lives matter and different things like that. I think that’s making people realize and recognize these schools and these people that are coming from the schools,” he said.
“So now the fact that those people in the HBCUs are in that limelight…I think it’s more recognizable. It’s more an opportunity for people who never paid attention to it, to pay attention to it.”
