Corporate sponsors invest in 'U'

A simple blue hat with a yellow swoosh symbol across the front may seem to have little meaning.

But when you wear one to a Michigan football game, fellow fans can identify you as a Wolverine supporter.

The Nike logo has become nearly synonymous with the University, but with the company's sometimes controversial sponsorship of Michigan athletics comes bonuses and drawbacks.

According to the contract the University signed with Nike in 1994, Nike will outfit all Michigan varsity athletic teams with clothing and equipment and pay the University $7.1 million between 1994 and 2000. In exchange, the University grants Nike the non-exclusive right to use the University's mark in conjunction with Nike products.

PAUL TALANIAN/Daily LSA senior Adam Mesh sports a Nike swoosh on his hat yesterday on the Diag. Nike is a main corporate sponsor of Michigan varsity athletic teams.

"It is our objective to provide footwear, apparel and equipment to all University of Michigan teams and coaches," said Kit Morris, Nike director of college sports marketing. "And it is our expectation that they will use the equipment."

Not only does Nike provide equipment to athletic teams, but the contract states that the University agrees that during officially sanctioned University Intercollegiate Athletic Program activities, all coaches and staff members will wear exclusively Nike apparel, unless in special medical situations or if Nike doesn't produce the product.

Players, however, are only advised to wear and use Nike products during such activities.

Although the arrangement with Nike is the most visible, the University has hundreds of partnerships with private companies, including Pepsico, Microsoft and IBM, said Vice President for University Relations Walter Harrison.

Morris said the support Nike gives to the University is necessary to sustain its $38 million-a-year athletic program, which does not receive direct funding from the University.

"The expectation at Michigan is that its sports program be pretty much self sufficient," Morris said. "Our partnership allows it to be so."

But some students feel that the University is selling its soul when it signs a contract with a private company.

"I'm all for the positive aspects of it in terms of what is does for our athletic program, but when does U of M start to become U of Nike and not so much U of M?" asked LSA junior Alex Bokov. "Honestly, when I'm watching the football games and I see that Nike symbol on the uniforms, it drives me crazy."

LSA junior Karen Ginman said that while the Nike swooshes seem insignificant, the fact that Nike gives the University so much money is scary.

"I don't like the idea that any corporation sponsors universities or schools that are supposed to be open to ideas, because corporations like Nike stand for certain things," said LSA junior Karen Ginman.

Most recently, controversy has surrounded Nike's labor practices in overseas factories, which has given rise to a national anti-Nike day this Saturday. Member of "Just Don't Do It" plan to rally on the Diag at 10 a.m. Saturday and march to the stadium to disseminate anti-Nike fliers calling for the University to suspend its contract with Nike.

"This is a public institution, and we are making money for Nike," said Rackham student Eric Dirnbach, who is heading up Saturday's activities. "With the money comes a certain amount of control and a certain amount of responsibility."

Senior Associate Athletic Director Keith Molin said the Athletic Department receives money from a number of sources, including revenue from television broadcasting rights.

"Those people who are opposed to (corporate sponsorship) probably watch those games on television," Molin said.

LSA senior Brandon Rubin said he wouldn't buy a Michigan hat with a Nike logo because corporate sponsorship is "turning the University into a big capitalist machine.

"I'm not in favor of turning the University into any more of a capitalist organization than it already is, because it's against the nature of the academic endeavor," Rubin said.

Among the most controversial agreements between the University and corporations is the licensing agreement with Mattel that allowed the Barbie manufacturer to make a doll that wears a Michigan cheerleading uniform.

"People were critical of this particular doll because it was questionable whether the Barbie reflected the values that many of the women at this University believe in," Harrison said.

In an effort to develop a consistent policy on the commercial use of the University's name, former interim President Homer Neal created the Committee on the Use of the University Name. Harrison, who heads the committee, said it grew out of a concern about the Athletic Department's contract with Nike, as well as the overall increase in business relationships between universities and commercial organizations.

"We don't want to recommend an end to corporate partnerships," Harrison said. "What we do think is that there should be some guidelines to make sure the corporation shares the values of the University."

Morris said Nike respects the University's values.

"We've worked in cooperation with officials to develop the partnership in a way that reflects the fundamental values of the University of Michigan," Morris said. "That's important to them. That's important to us."

Through the contract, Nike also provides the University with four student internships and supports a graduate journalism fellowship. The University also participates in Nike's Reuse-a-shoe program, which uses the rubber from recycled athletic shoes to build outdoor athletic courts in inner-city areas.

"A lot of people take a look at us and see us as an ominous threat," Morris said. "That's unfortunate, because it's certainly our intent to be a positive force on those campuses we have partnerships with."

Bokov said in exchange for respecting the University's values, Nike should have similar expectations of the University to maintain values in its athletics programs.

"If the University of Michigan wants to continue to generate large amounts of money, then we'd better keep ourselves in check," Bokov said, citing the recent investigation into the Michigan men's basketball program.

10-17-97