I'll be straight up and honest with you. I know we don't always see eye-to-eye, but we want the best for UM.
So I'll say this the same for Nike as I would for adidas.
First, what does Nike or adidas get? While Miami is a smaller private school, we are dominant in South Florida. Miami-FTL-WPB may be the sixth largest MSA, but I would argue our grip on the east coast goes well north of West Palm and we have a lot of pull in Naples-Fort Myers too. We are probably the fourth most important urban market, after NY, LA, and CHI. Plus, we are a jumping off point to Latin America and the Caribbean. With all due respect to FIU and FAU, they do not have nearly the same interest or passion that Miami has. We all know how the SoFla community is, there is a heavy carryover among fanbases, as UM fans to to Dolphins, Marlins, Heat, Panthers, and Inter games/matches. So by using UM as the entry point for kids and teens, and then bridging to the alums and fans, plus the warm weather climate, you have a market that loves to wear sports merchandise year-round. Then you add that Miami football just played for the Natty, the men's basketball team is projected to make the NCAAs, and the baseball team is a pre-season Top 25 team...and women's volleyball made the NCAAs too...and we are going to be adding capacity for other sports such as soccer and softball, and potentially joining a P2 conference soon...the entire mix is too powerful to allow only one apparel company to bid, and it would be too petty to cite things that happened 10-15 years ago or let coaching changes impair long-term business relationships. UM is succeeding on and off the field, the market is massive, the opportunities to sell clothing and shoes are year-round, and the SoFla market is more style-conscious than just buying the same old "Penn State black/white merch" every year.
What does UM need...
1. A transparent formula for translating merch sales into revenue payments. As I've pointed out, the TV and post-season money now DWARFS the cash-for-merch payments (having factored OUT of "total compensation" certain non-operating revenue items such as equipment/uniforms and marketing activation). We just need a solid layout of EITHER a royalty-based agreement that allows for upside OR a guaranteed-payment system that provides at least some flexibility down the road if benchmarks are exceeded. We need enough guidance on what to expect so that we can build the numbers into our budgeting process. If we enjoy "more" upside with a royalty-based agreement, so be it. If we opt for more smooth annual projections based on a guarantee, so be it. But both should have a floor as well as flexibility if projections are exceeded.
2. For the players, we need better access to the best shoe models on the market (i.e., no more "no Yeezys for you"), with more players-only editions and special colorways. I have nothing against "Stormtrooper track suits" as long as that isn't the only swag the players get. And let the players have input on jersey designs, maybe providing a couple of options to vote on whenever new models are proposed, they have to wear the stuff. Definitely have the players involved on all fit and wear issues so that we have the best product for gameday use.
3. For the students (and alums), we need more customization, whether it be through the main website (for shoe design) or whether the school can create designs for things like colleges/schools (i.e., UM Law School, UM Business School) or dormitories or special events (Homecoming). Find local partners (CanesWear, AllCanes) if there is a need to do local screening/embroidery to finish certain custom designs for clothing. Come out with 2 shoe models per year, a heavier "lifestyle/trainer" shoe in the fall (like an AF1 or an AirMax or a Jordan throwback) and a lighter "running" shoe in the spring (like the UltraBoost running shoes).
4. Begin more joint ventures, whether that involves sports science (design/testing shoes and apparel with the athletes) or marketing (allowing various UM athletes, via NIL initiatives, to represent the brands in community events (camps, flag football competitions) and in advertising (i.e., use an alum like Xavier or a coach like Mario for multi-lingual marketing efforts).
5. Weave orange/white/green into more generic campaigns throughout Florida and Latin America. As seen with the "Fruits of Our Labors" collab with Solefly, the colors also represent Coral Gables and are emblematic of the orange tree. Use this as a colorway with more frequency, even on non-UM-specific releases.
6. Get into the sponsorship of local schools, parks/rec centers, and flag football and related youth sports. Connect these activities with local players whenever possible. UM tends to have a larger percentage of its players who are locals, at least for the largest sport (by roster), which is football. Tie this in with personal appearances and keep the connection strong with parents and coaches.
7. Outreach to UM alums. The Solefly collab was a great example, players were wearing the shoes at a game weeks before the release, driving demand. Do more of this, use viral moments and unique items (whether it's Michael Irvin's shirt, or those cool adidas shirts the players had a couple of years ago with the Miami skyline on them), and then if the demand is there, sell those in-stores too, perhaps with enough alteration to still make the player editions unique. Give people a chance to buy whenever and wherever you can. I know MULTIPLE posters on this board who have banded together to convince one or more of the UM apparel stores to bring back the CFP polo shirt with the trophy on the sleeve, as they sold out so quickly that many people could not get them. I realize uniqueness is nice, but sales should come first on simple designs that are built to sell to the masses.
8. Market the travel, market the lifestyle - the advertising presence should be felt in airports, train stations, rental cars, Uber/Lyft, and turnpike rest stops. No matter how you arrive in South Florida, you should feel it and see it in the images and colors and the outdoor lifestyle impressions that are being made, and this could be very closely linked to Miami.
9. Make sure to field-test all of the most cutting-edge designs with Miami athletes, and then use some of those players in the rollout as they turn pro. Miami can be synonymous with innovation and new ideas, and brand it as such.
10. Facilitate UM athletes going on podcasts and other various local shows with small ads (even if it's as simple as "courtesy of Nike or adidas"). Become ubiquitous at every level, create a feeling that the brand is embedded within the community at every level.
