Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell and adidas Announce New Five-Year Partnership
5/30/2006 8:00:00 AM | General
May 30, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell Athletics and adidas America, Inc., announced today a five-year product and sponsorship agreement naming adidas as the exclusive supplier of footwear, uniforms, apparel and accessories for all 27 Bison varsity athletics teams.
"We are extremely pleased to continue our historical relationship with adidas and expand the benefits to all of our varsity programs," said Bucknell director of athletics and recreation John Hardt. "This partnership will not only provide our Bison student-athletes with the highest-quality performance equipment and apparel, but it will also boost our brand by giving our teams a consistent identity."
"We believe that the student athletes, faculty, coaches and administration at Bucknell University are winning programs, and adidas Team is excited to be working with such a fine institution" said Richard Spanjian, Vice President and General Manager of adidas Team. "This partnership gives Bucknell the opportunity to outfit its athletes, coaches and athletic department with the finest footwear, apparel and uniforms that adidas has to offer."
The adidas Group is one of the global leaders within the sporting goods industry and offers a broad range of products with brands such as adidas, Reebok, TaylorMade and Rockport in its portfolio. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the new Group has more than 25,000 employees and sales of around ?9.5 billion.
Bucknell is a highly-selective, privately endowed liberal arts institution with an enrollment of approximately 3,400 undergraduate students. Bucknell competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the Patriot League and has full membership along with American, Army, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy. Bucknell has won the Presidents' Cup, signifying the Patriot League's all-sports champion, in 12 of 16 years, including eight of the last nine years. In 2005-06, Bucknell captured Patriot League titles in women's soccer, women's cross country, women's indoor and outdoor track and field, women's swimming and diving, men's basketball, men's golf and women's rowing.
Bucknell has annually ranked among the national leaders in the graduation rate of its student-athletes. Three times Bucknell has ranked FIRST in the nation in graduation rates, including 2004. In addition, Bucknell ranks fourth in Division I in the total number of ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America selections, with 111 national honorees since 1970. In the Fall 2005 semester 253 Bison student-athletes earned Dean's List recognition with grade-point averages of 3.50 or better, including 20 who had perfect 4.0 averages.
