Bandit Running
CNBC.com's Justine Fisher wrote 35 “unsponsored” athletes “decked out in all-black, logo-less gear” are “commanding attention” at the U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials this year. Fisher reported the athletes are “supported” by apparel company Bandit Running’s "Unsponsored Project,” which is an “effort to challenge the standard sponsorship model for professional athletes and boost up-and-coming competitors.” Bandit co-founder Tim West said that the company is “giving out at least 35 two-week deals for unsponsored runners at the trials.” The deals “consist of unbranded apparel, a platform and cash to cover expenses.” Fisher noted that last year, Bandit “partnered with nine athletes.” West said that Bandit’s deals have a “built-in release clause,” allowing an “easy out for athletes who get a traditional sponsorship offer during the trials" (
CNBC.com, 6/29).
IN THE FINE PRINT: RUNNER'S WORLD's Sarah Butler noted distance runner Parker Valby is “still racing in her University of Florida kit” at the Olympic Trials even though she is done running for UF and turning pro. Valby had an NIL deal with Nike, which she signed last summer. Even though NIL deals “usually end when college competition ends,” sources said that “language in her NIL contract gives Nike the right to match offers from any other brands for her pro deal.” These clauses, which give an NIL brand “first dibs” on an athlete’s pro contract, are “increasingly common with distance runners.” Brands, “waging recruiting wars for top college talent,” use NIL to “get any early start” (
RUNNER'S WORLD, 6/27).
HARD WORK PAYS OFF: The AP's Pat Graham noted middle distance runner Eric Holt -- who was previously unsponsored -- signed a deal with Puma that he said that "lasts through 2025." Holt “arrived at trials as a track-world celebrity -- the everyday runner who quit his job to pursue his passion of running” (
AP, 6/27). In Westchester, Nancy Haggerty wrote Holt’s “long-sought shoe contract” could “increase the odds Holt will make a strong run” for the Olympic squad in 2028 (
ROCKLAND/WESTCHESTER JOURNAL NEWS, 6/27).
