General | 7/14/2015 4:33:00 PM
NEWARK, NJ—New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and adidas, have entered into a seven-year agreement, beginning on July 1, 2015, in which the Portland, OR-based company will be the official athletic footwear, apparel and accessory brand of the NJIT Highlanders.
NJIT Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics
Lenny Kaplan said: "I am enthused to have NJIT Athletics join forces with adidas."
The deal between NJIT and adidas coincides with other notworthy developments for the University and its athletics program. The Highlanders joined the Atlantic Sun Conference as the A-Sun's eighth full member, also on July 1.
"We're thrilled to enter this multiyear partnership with adidas," stated NJIT's Senior Associate Director of Athletics
Andrew Schwartz. "It is an unprecedented time for us as the newest member of the
Atlantic Sun Conference and this relationship presents an outstanding opportunity to effectively position NJIT and strengthen our brand. Our student-athletes will benefit in myriad ways and the University is
pleased that adidas will play an important role in contributing to their overall experience."
In addition to its entry into the Atlantic Sun Conference, NJIT has announced plans for a new Wellness and Events Center, which is slated for groundbreaking in late 2015, with opening scheduled for 2017. The new venue, which will benefit the entire NJIT community, will contain a 3,500-seat arena for intercollegiate competition that will further raise the public profile of Highlander Athletics..
Speaking on behalf of adidas, Jim Murphy, director of NCAA Sports Marketing at adidas America said: "We're excited to welcome New Jersey Institute of Technology to the adidas family. Through our partnership, our mission is to help the Highlanders perform at their highest level. Over the next seven years, we'll outfit all men's and women's athletics in our latest and most innovative footwear, uniforms, apparel and accessories."
adidas is a global designer, developer and marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories with the mission to make all athletes better. adidas is the official uniform, footwear and apparel provider for more than 100 collegiate programs including Arizona State, Indiana, Kansas, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Texas A&M, UCLA and Wisconsin. adidas has marketing agreements with the National Basketball Association, National Football League, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer.
One of the nation's leading public technological universities, New Jersey Institute of Technology is a top-tier research university that prepares students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. With an enrollment of more than 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students, NJIT offers small-campus intimacy with the resources of a major public research university. NJIT ranks 5th among U.S. polytechnic universities in research expenditures, topping $110 million, and is among the top 1 percent of public colleges and universities in return on educational investment, according to PayScale.com.
In athletics, NJIT competes in NCAA Division I and sponsors 19 varsity intercollegiate teams. Thirteen of the teams are members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, with a 14th (men's soccer) scheduled to begin A-Sun competition in 2016.
