CLAREMONT, Calif. – Beginning in the 2022-23 academic year, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps will enter an athletic partnership with Nike and BSN SPORTS, the nation's largest direct marketer and distributor of sporting goods to the school and league markets and a division of Varsity Brands, it was announced today by Erica Perkins Jasper, the William B. Arce Director of Athletics, Physical Education, & Recreation and George R. Roberts Fellow.
Throughout this multi-year partnership, BSN SPORTS will serve as the official and equipment provider to the CMS athletic programs, while outfitting the department's student-athletes, coaches and community members in premier Nike product selection.
Ray Buck, Vice President of BSN SPORTS Collegiate Select Program, said, "Through this agreement between Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, BSN SPORTS, and Nike, we are proud to support Athena and Stag student-athletes and staff with access to top team gear and apparel. While our local team will stay connected to the daily needs of coaches and administrators the CMS community will benefit from BSN SPORTS' additional expansive resources. Those include campus branding products, our team of sport category experts, all our equipment vendors, and purchasing support teams to keep Athenas and Stags at the top of their game. We are very excited about this partnership and appreciative of the opportunity."
The partnership will debut across the 21 NCAA Division III men's and women's teams competing within the SCIAC. CMS will also benefit from access to BSN SPORTS' line of custom branding products, expansive support teams, and a customizable fanwear shop.
"We are thrilled to enter into this partnership with BSN SPORTS and Nike," said Perkins Jasper. "Our student-athletes have established CMS as one of the top Division III athletic departments in the country, and having access to premier apparel and equipment will be a big benefit to their pursuit of future championships. This partnership allows us to build on the momentum that our student-athletes have created, and improve their experiences moving forward."
During the 2021-22 academic year, CMS finished eighth in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings of the top NCAA Division III athletic departments. A total of eight CMS athletic teams finished in the top 10 in the country in their NCAA competitions, led by a national championship from women's tennis, the sixth NCAA title for the department since 2015 (in five different sports).
In addition to the women's tennis title, women's cross country also had its highest-ever finish as the NCAA runner-up, volleyball and men's golf both finished tied for third, men's tennis tied for fifth, men's cross country came in sixth, men's swimming and diving finished eighth and women's golf ended in ninth place. Women's swimming and diving also barely finished outside the top 10, ending in 11th place.
Buck added, "Elite partnerships like the one with CMS fuel our passion at BSN SPORTS and affirm our highest aspirations for our partners nationwide. With over 1100 sales professionals servicing their communities, we are committed to elevating the experience of students and athletes and look forward to expanding premier collegiate partnership opportunities."
ABOUT NIKE, INC.
NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes surf and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories.
ABOUT BSN SPORTS
BSN SPORTS is the leading marketer, manufacturer and distributor of sporting goods apparel and equipment. A division of Varsity Brands, BSN SPORTS markets and distributes its products to over 100,000 institutional and team sports customers in colleges and universities, middle and high schools, and recreational programs throughout the United States via catalog, e-commerce, and direct sales. Focused on providing game changing solutions through local partnerships, multi-brand selection and one-stop shopping for equipment and uniforms, BSN SPORTS' more than 2,000 employees have been helping elevate participation in team sports since 1972. For more information about BSN SPORTS please visit www.bsnsports.com.
