University of Hawaii Athletics announces apparel deal with Nike

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Just did it.

After months of rumors and speculation, the University of Hawai’i Athletics Department formally announced its multi-year partnership with Nike, Inc. and BSN Sports as the official outfitter for UH Athletics Thursday morning.

The partnership will begin on July 1, 2025, and run through June 30, 2032, and will provide all UH athletics teams with top-quality apparel, footwear, and equipment that will offer enhanced benefits to support Rainbow Warrior and Rainbow Wahine student-athletes.

“We are excited about this new partnership with Nike and BSN Sports,” UH Acting Athletics Director Lois Manin said in a press release. “The Nike brand helps us in so many ways and we look forward to collaborating with them and BSN Sports to provide quality apparel and service for our student-athletes.”

The announcement of the deal comes within a half-year of UH Athletics’ current deal with Adidas coming to a close.

This will be the first time since the 2007-08 season since UH Athletics has worn uniforms with Nike’s signature “swoosh” logo, which is also the same season that Hawai’i football went undefeated during the regular season and reached the Sugar Bowl with Colt Brennan at quarterback.

After Nike, UH Athletics was outfitted by Under Armour before going with Adidas in 2021.

Helping to deliver Nike products to UH Athletics is BSN Sports, who is a marketer, manufacturer, and distributor of sporting goods apparel and equipment.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to partner alongside Nike in supporting University of Hawai’i Athletics and their continued growth over the next seven years. Through our collegiate partnerships nationwide, we have sharpened the collegiate service experience and understand the unique needs in this space. This partnership will undoubtedly benefit the athletes, coaches and supporters of UH Athletics with top-tier access to premier Nike product and the customizable service solutions BSN Sports brings to the table,” Vice President of Collegiate Select Todd Northrop said in a press release.

The genesis of the new deal started with former UH Athletics Director Craig Angelos’ close relationship with BSN Sports.

In a podcast with The Sportz Nutz that was published in Mid-November – and in anticipation of the Adidas deal coming to a close – Angelos said “when a deal runs out, you kind of see what else is out there in the marketplace.”

Angelos also referenced the prior three apparel outfitters with UH Athletics and even mentioned New Balance getting into the mix of things with its partnership with Boston College.

Although he was removed from his position by outgoing UH President David Lassner a few days later, Angelos at the time said “we are getting close with Nike” and that the apparel companies are trying to match each others’ bids.

Some things that apparel companies do to get deals sign is that they offer a fixed amount of credit or “promo money” each year to be used in purchasing items at retail pricing or at slightly discounted rates, which is a standard practice in collegiate athletics to help offset their budgets.