As was expected this week, N.C. State has formally announced its new apparel contract, and the dollar figures provided showed it was a big one.
To the surprise of no one, the Wolfpack will continue to be outfitted by Adidas. What raised eyebrows was the $6.45 million annually in financial, apparel and equipment contributions that NC State will be receiving. That is in line with the eight-year deal Indiana signed in August for $6.7 million.
The value N.C. State received was also more than any public institution in the ACC (eight total schools) received in their respective apparel deals during the 2014-15 calendar year, according to a database kept by the Sports Journal.
The new deal is validation to the rise in the school’s brand name over the past four years. The Pack had received $3.025 million annually in its previous four-year contract with Adidas.
It could also reflect faith Adidas has in the Pack’s basketball program recruiting, which is set to sign five-star point guard Dennis Smith from Fayetteville (N.C.) Trinity Christian. N.C. State is also among the favorites, along with Kentucky, for five-star forward Edrice “Bam” Adebayo, who plays at High Point (N.C.) Christian. Both Smith and Adebayo played for the Adidas-sponsored AAU team ‘Team Loaded.’