New Balance will work closely with the Boston College men’s and women’s basketball programs to help with design and product enhancementsGETTY IMAGES
Boston College's new 10-year footwear and apparel deal with New Balance, which starts June 1, will be the "largest in school history," according to Julian Benbow of the BOSTON GLOBE. A source said that the deal was "worth $45 million." Benbow notes New Balance will "outfit all of the Eagles programs, except football," with an announcement on an apparel deal for the football program "expected soon." The BC hockey program will be "outfitted by Warrior Sports," a New Balance subsidiary. New Balance’s only preexisting ties to college sports were its apparel deal with the Univ. of Maine up to last year and Central Michigan up to '09, but now, its brand will be "identified with a school in a Power 5 conference." As it continues to expand its brand in hoops, the company will "work closely with the BC men’s and women’s basketball programs to help with design and product enhancements." Athletes are expected to see a 50% "increase in gear from New Balance compared with the previous deal," and they also will "play a part in the design of their practice and game-day apparel" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/14).
