http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...t-nike-mike-bianchi-0508-20160507-column.html
It all started with a phone call from new UCF coach Scott Frost to his old Oregon friend — Nike founder Phil Knight.
I'm thinking the conversation went something like this:
Frost: "Phil, it's Scott, I was wondering …"
Knight: "Scotty, my man, don't even ask! I'm already on it. I've got my guys working on some designs so we can get you guys lookin' fresh and rockin' some new threads. Whadaya need — new uniforms, new cleats, new helmets? How about we just give you a whole new deal? We'll have you looking like Oregon East in no time. We miss you, buddy!"
And that essentially is how UCF got its new Nike contract and why it was able to unveil its cool new uniforms earlier this week on a delirious day when fans were giddy with excitement.
"I've never seen uniforms become this important of a topic," UCF athletics director Danny White told me on the day the uniform designs were made public. "… From what I heard, every Twitter handle associated with the new uniforms was trending in Orlando."
New coach. New offense. New excitement. New Nike deal.
This is what happens when you hire the offensive coordinator at Oregon. Not only is Frost bringing Oregon's fast and furious offense to Orlando; he's bringing the Ducks' daring and dashing fashion trends as well.
The UCF Knights are now the UCF Phil Knights.
Don't underestimate the ancillary benefits of Frost's connection to Nike's founder, who forged a relationship with UCF's new head coach while sitting beside him in the press box at Oregon games. If you Google Scott Frost and Phil Knight, you'll find the photograph of Frost calling plays against Stanford with Knight sitting beside him wearing a headset as well.
When you're worth billions and contribute millions, you sit wherever you want. It's been reported that Knight has contributed more than $300 million to Oregon's athletics program, which I'm sure prompted Frost to occasionally turn to his right when Oregon was beating Colorado by six TDs and say, "Hey, Phil, what play should we call here?"
I'm not saying Knight will ever become a big-money UCF donor, but you never know where this relationship could go. Knight is a kind and classy benefactor who takes care of his friends in many ways. Think about it: If the Big 12 decides to expand and is trying to decide which schools to add, I would think an endorsement from Knight — perhaps the most powerful man in sports — would significantly help UCF's chances.
The relationship is already paying huge dividends. According to White, there was much "displeasure" and "negativity" over the school's previous Nike deal and it had become a "hot-button issue" within UCF's cash-strapped athletics department. It hit rock bottom last season when some of UCF's graduating athletes were asked to return their used warm-ups, which they traditionally had been allowed to keep.
There was a thought among the previous athletic administration that UCF had no leverage and should take whatever deal Nike gave the school. The old deal still had four years remaining on it and Nike was under no obligation to alter it — until Frost made the phone call to Knight.
With White working his connections as well, it wasn't long before Nike tore up the old contract and wrote up a new one that gives all of UCF's sports programs a lot more free stuff — shoes, workout gear and, yes, uniforms.
Don't kid yourself, the new Nike uniforms aren't just a big deal to fans; they're a big deal to players and recruits as well.
"I was part of that [uniform craze] for a long time at Oregon," Frost says. "Uniforms should never be a reason why a kid picks one school over another and we told them that, but, at the same time, kids get excited about what they wear. There really is something to the look-good, feel-good, play-good mentality."
It is truly amazing how one man has changed the entire look — and outlook — of the UCF football program. It's almost like 0-12 didn't happen last season. The stigma of being winless has been erased and replaced by the stimulus of the Frost factor.
White's hire of Frost is looking more and more brilliant by the day and will likely go down as the most astute coaching hire in all of college football this offseason.
"In terms of marketing, I was excited about what Scott brought to the table as far as the exciting style of play and the up-tempo offense," White says. "I wasn't even thinking about uniforms."
It rarely happens, but sometimes in college athletics, you actually get more than what you paid for.
It all started with a phone call from new UCF coach Scott Frost to his old Oregon friend — Nike founder Phil Knight.
I'm thinking the conversation went something like this:
Frost: "Phil, it's Scott, I was wondering …"
Knight: "Scotty, my man, don't even ask! I'm already on it. I've got my guys working on some designs so we can get you guys lookin' fresh and rockin' some new threads. Whadaya need — new uniforms, new cleats, new helmets? How about we just give you a whole new deal? We'll have you looking like Oregon East in no time. We miss you, buddy!"
And that essentially is how UCF got its new Nike contract and why it was able to unveil its cool new uniforms earlier this week on a delirious day when fans were giddy with excitement.
"I've never seen uniforms become this important of a topic," UCF athletics director Danny White told me on the day the uniform designs were made public. "… From what I heard, every Twitter handle associated with the new uniforms was trending in Orlando."
New coach. New offense. New excitement. New Nike deal.
This is what happens when you hire the offensive coordinator at Oregon. Not only is Frost bringing Oregon's fast and furious offense to Orlando; he's bringing the Ducks' daring and dashing fashion trends as well.
The UCF Knights are now the UCF Phil Knights.
Don't underestimate the ancillary benefits of Frost's connection to Nike's founder, who forged a relationship with UCF's new head coach while sitting beside him in the press box at Oregon games. If you Google Scott Frost and Phil Knight, you'll find the photograph of Frost calling plays against Stanford with Knight sitting beside him wearing a headset as well.
When you're worth billions and contribute millions, you sit wherever you want. It's been reported that Knight has contributed more than $300 million to Oregon's athletics program, which I'm sure prompted Frost to occasionally turn to his right when Oregon was beating Colorado by six TDs and say, "Hey, Phil, what play should we call here?"
I'm not saying Knight will ever become a big-money UCF donor, but you never know where this relationship could go. Knight is a kind and classy benefactor who takes care of his friends in many ways. Think about it: If the Big 12 decides to expand and is trying to decide which schools to add, I would think an endorsement from Knight — perhaps the most powerful man in sports — would significantly help UCF's chances.
The relationship is already paying huge dividends. According to White, there was much "displeasure" and "negativity" over the school's previous Nike deal and it had become a "hot-button issue" within UCF's cash-strapped athletics department. It hit rock bottom last season when some of UCF's graduating athletes were asked to return their used warm-ups, which they traditionally had been allowed to keep.
There was a thought among the previous athletic administration that UCF had no leverage and should take whatever deal Nike gave the school. The old deal still had four years remaining on it and Nike was under no obligation to alter it — until Frost made the phone call to Knight.
With White working his connections as well, it wasn't long before Nike tore up the old contract and wrote up a new one that gives all of UCF's sports programs a lot more free stuff — shoes, workout gear and, yes, uniforms.
Don't kid yourself, the new Nike uniforms aren't just a big deal to fans; they're a big deal to players and recruits as well.
"I was part of that [uniform craze] for a long time at Oregon," Frost says. "Uniforms should never be a reason why a kid picks one school over another and we told them that, but, at the same time, kids get excited about what they wear. There really is something to the look-good, feel-good, play-good mentality."
It is truly amazing how one man has changed the entire look — and outlook — of the UCF football program. It's almost like 0-12 didn't happen last season. The stigma of being winless has been erased and replaced by the stimulus of the Frost factor.
White's hire of Frost is looking more and more brilliant by the day and will likely go down as the most astute coaching hire in all of college football this offseason.
"In terms of marketing, I was excited about what Scott brought to the table as far as the exciting style of play and the up-tempo offense," White says. "I wasn't even thinking about uniforms."
It rarely happens, but sometimes in college athletics, you actually get more than what you paid for.
