When Boston College Athletics announced its historic deal with New Balance two weeks ago, one of BC’s 31 varsity sports was notably not included in the deal, leaving BC football without an official apparel and footwear supplier. But the Eagles are no longer in want of a supplier, as BC announced a three-year football partnership with Adidas on Wednesday morning.
“This is an exciting partnership with adidas and one that will truly benefit our student-athletes,” Athletics Director Pat Kraft said in a release. “In choosing adidas, we were able to join forces with a global brand that is one of the leaders in football footwear, apparel and accessories. Our student-athletes will be outfitted with more footwear and apparel than ever before with this new partnership.”
“I think anytime your players are happy, and I think anytime anything benefits recruiting, which I think this does, I think everybody’s happy,” BC head football coach Jeff Hafley told The Athletic, which broke the news first. “I think if you ask any athlete, anytime they’re going to get more of something, that always fires them up. When you get to a locker and it’s full of new stuff and a lot more stuff than they’re used to having, I think that’s huge, and that’s what you’re going to see. I’m glad our players will be happy and fired up.”
BC is believed to be the first FBS school to have a football-only apparel deal, and it is also the only FBS school with an agreement with New Balance. Maine, which competes on the FCS level, is the only Division I football program that wears New Balance.
BC football’s deal with Adidas will extend through the end of the 2023 football season, while BC’s deal with New Balance is set for 10 years. Like the deal with New Balance, the Adidas contract will begin on June 1, and gear will be available to BC fans this summer, according to the release.
“It’s a brand refresh, and with that comes a new energy,” Kraft said to The Athletic. “We can really look at it now as having a second-year head coach and a rebrand of our program, which gives us a fresh new look.”
While New Balance is relatively new on the scene of college athletics, Adidas is an established brand among NCAA programs, which will help the Eagles on the recruiting trail. Adidas outfits four other programs in the ACC, including Miami, Georgia Tech, Louisville, and NC State.
“Everyone in our football program is thrilled to be part of the adidas family,” Hafley said in the release. “From the moment we told our players, to sharing the news with our recruits, it was met with a ton of excitement and anticipation of joining the brand with the three stripes.”
As of 2019, Adidas designed the jerseys of 12 of the 65 Power Five programs, while Nike outfitted 42, and Under Armour made jerseys for 11 schools.
BC’s partnership with Under Armour began in 2010 under then-Athletics Director Gene DeFilippo. In 2015, DeFilippo’s successor Brad Bates signed a contract extension with the apparel company that was set to extend through the 2023-24 school year before Kraft terminated the partnership.
One major component of BC football’s previous deal with Under Armour was its Red Bandanna jerseys, honoring BC alumnus Welles Crowther, who died saving upwards of a dozen lives in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“We’re mocking up the Red Bandanna jerseys, and it’s going to be different this year,” Hafley told The Athletic. “It’s going to have a little bit more pop to it. I thought last year we were really clean. That was one of my favorite jerseys I’ve seen. I think this year we’re going to get a little bit more style to it. I’m pretty fired up about what I think they’ll look like. A little more colorful.”
Featured Graphic by Olivia Charbonneau / Heights Editor
