On the opening week of the 2016 high school football season, Frisco ISD's eight varsity programs will play each other in the state's first domed high school venue, the $255 million (and counting) practice facility for the Dallas Cowboys -- nimbly named the Ford Center at the Star.
It will be a spectacle, and now, Frisco ISD's football teams will be sharply dressed for the gala.
On Monday, Nike formalized a five-year, $1.74 million deal (in products and discounts) with Frisco ISD, one of the state's fastest-growing school districts, to serve as the sole provider of athletic uniforms and equipment in all of the district's middle schools and high schools. Starting in August 2016, all of Frisco ISD's high school varsity football and soccer teams will wear Nike uniforms, according to Frisco ISD athletic director David Kuykendall, with other programs transitioning over the length of the contract.
It's no coincidence that Nike was eager to win the bid -- over other apparel giants such as Adidas, Under Armour and Russell -- given its relationship with the Cowboys. Nike will be a partner in the sprawling new complex, opening a 2,000-square foot Nike store adjacent to a Cowboys-themed fitness center and sponsoring a jogging track. The Dr Pepper-Snapple Group, another company with a partnership with the Cowboys at 'The Star', signed a 10year, $3.77 million agreement with Frisco ISD in December. Frisco ISD contributed $30 million toward the construction of 'The Star,' a joint effort among the Cowboys, the district and the city.
"Had 'The Star' not been built, this deal would not have been on the table," Kuydendall said. "With all that being here, and the spotlight on the facility and us playing there, I think there was some incentive for them to bring their best deal to the table."
The exclusive apparel contract is the first of its kind for the district. In previous years, each coach at each high school campus picked out their preferred uniform and soft goods provider (t-shirts, compression gear, etc.). Part of the deal stipulates that Nike will provide home and away uniforms to each football program for the 2016 season, purchases that could cost as much as $30,000 for each team.
Competition among apparel companies to secure schools in the Dallas area has picked up noticeably in recent years (Here's a story I wrote in November about some of the area's biggest programs and their shoe contracts). Frisco's deal comes on the heels of Mansfield ISD signing its own sponsorship deal with Under Armour in November. Both districts advanced teams to this year's UIL football state championships. Other high-profile athletic programs such as Allen, Southlake Carroll and Cedar Hill, have similar exclusive agreements.
Ironically, the Nike deal does not include shoes. Frisco ISD requires students to provide their own.
