Lightning F Nikita Kucherov will become the first official athlete partner for Orlando-based sports tech firm HypGames' year-round fan engagement app, HypSports. The app will be launching on-the-spot trivia games with additional cash prices to celebrate Kucherov's on-ice performance during the NHL Eastern Conference Finals and through all remaining Lightning playoff games. For every Lightning playoff game, a bonus trivia contest will be added following Kucherov's first goal of the night (HypGames).
ALL IN WRITING: In Raleigh, Aaron Moody notes a "new look is coming to NC State athletic uniforms." The university worked with apparel partner Adidas to "develop a new font that the school calls 'Simple. Modern. Bold.'" The proprietary, customized “Wolfpack Font” will be "used for uniforms, in athletic facilities and for marketing." The university has "not disclosed how much the overhaul cost." The new font is used for "new 'NC State' and 'Wolfpack' word marks that are bold with an italic slant, and do not have serifs like some of the current markings." It incorporates "fangs within the letters and numbers." The new font will be "used by all sports and will roll out gradually" over the '18-19 athletic year. It "will be on basketball uniforms next season and football uniforms" in '19 (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 5/10).
FRESH SWAG: Grambling State announced a "five-year athletic apparel partnership" with Adidas. In Louisiana, Cory Diaz notes Adidas will "outfit all 15 of Grambling's athletic programs with game day and practice uniforms, cleats and shoes, as well as accessories," through the '22-23 school year. The new deal is worth more than $1.2M in "apparel and footwear" (Monroe NEWS-STAR, 5/10).
BARREL OF THE BAT: In Milwaukee, JR Radcliffe noted Brewers Ps Josh Hader and Taylor Williams visited Miller Brewery on Monday, "formulating their own signature beer as part of a Brewers promotion that pits the players against two of the team’s television broadcasters, Matt Lepay and Bill Schroeder, for the title of best beer." Fans attending the July 20 game at Miller Park can "compare the beers fashioned by Williams and Hader, as well as the offering by Lepay and Schroeder" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 5/8).
