Major Missed Opportunity for SMU! Big Get for TCU

[RE Tycoon]

Rant alert

When we switched (or they dropped us) from Nike to Adidas, I thought it was a dumb move. When Nike came out with the Nike Combat whatever there called special uniforms, and picked TCU as one of the featured schools, I knew it would elevate their rep above ours, and give them credibility amongst recruits. It doesn't matter how ugly we think they are or not, it's the perception.

Now some of these bonehead decisions are coming home to roost. We bet on the wrong apparel partner as Nike as seen as cool and innovative and still nobody cares about Adidas in this country. I fear we (CUSA) are making a similarly stupid move by shunning the powerhouse ESPN (like we did with Nike), for an unproven college football upstart FoxSports (Adidas), and I think it will result in missed opportunities down the line similar to what I'm about to highlight below.

Nike has set up a temporary "energy" space to showcase their apparel to high school KIDS and COACHES right down the street from campus in Victory Park. And guess which school in this region is prominently displayed in our own backyard? Guess who Nike invited to give a speech to local high school coaches? That's right TCU and Fatterson!!!

"Our purpose in utilizing the space is, we wanted to create an area that could serve as an energy space for high school athletes," she says.

Pardon, but .. "energy space"?

"That means when you're looking at football and all the athletes that play a sport, we want to take advantage of their interest in that sport, especially as we head into the off-season," she says. "We want to create one place for them to gather and create energy around the sport and create momentum that carries them into the off-season and into next season."

For instance, she says, a few days ago they brought in some local high school coaches to meet and greet with TCU head coach Gary Patterson. And tonight, some coaches in town for a convention are heading down to Victory for a catered dinner

If we stuck with Nike we wouldn't have our own combat unis right now (but who knows with JJ), but I guarantee you we would have equal billing in this "energy space" as a local team, and they would be having meet and greets for JJ and the hs coaches and kids would walk in and see our unis next to TCU.

I guess I'm glad Orsini got his extension so he can fund raise and show his ND ring around town, but I'm not sure he can take us to the next level. At the very least he should hire a number two that is young, or at least knows all this stuff going on and can market the program in this social age while affiliating us with the right brands.

Does anyone over 40 know what a pop up shop is? Anyone over 30? I feel like SMU is so stale. I realize we don't have a huge budget, but sometimes its about associating your brand with the right company and knowing which trends to join in on. TCU being open minded and letting Nike mutilate their uniforms took courage and has paid off multiple times over...and it cost them little to nothing.

[FroggieFever]

Nike definitely has been making some moves - they won the NFL contract and will replace Reebock in 2012 and will be dropping about 90% of NCAA teams, excluding Florida, Virginia Tech, Boise State, and TCU to name a few. They're going to dedicate most of their resources on NFL and high school uniforms and the few remaining NCAA teams. Under Armor will most likely be replacing a majority of the teams Nike drops.

[NickSMU17]

We should switch to UA and get on board early...

UA is going to take Maryland to compete with Nike and Oregon....

UA carries a lot of Street Cred...

[Pony_Fan]

Nike sucks. Not a big deal. Their cleats almost cost them the Rose Bowl.

However, Adidas needs to get on their game soon.

Yes, SMU is stale

[RE Tycoon]

Nike definitely has been making some moves - they won the NFL contract and will replace Reebock in 2012 and will be dropping about 90% of NCAA teams, excluding Florida, Virginia Tech, Boise State, and TCU to name a few. They're going to use most of their resources on NFL and high school uniforms and the few remaining NCAA teams. Under Armor will most likely be replacing a majority of the teams Nike drops.

You can keep Del Conte, but if I was making the calls at SMU, I would raid your staff from associate AD to game presentation crew. It seems like the last 10 years TCU has made all the right calls "off the field".

[Stallion]

Yeah well so is every National Champion lately-I don't see Alabama, LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio St, USC, Florida wearing these stupid uniforms. Auburn will take this one tonite. Non Factor

[RE Tycoon]

Nike sucks. Not a big deal. Their cleats almost cost them the Rose Bowl.

However, Adidas needs to get on their game soon.

Yes, SMU is stale

I could care less about the actual product, I want to be associated with a brand that has something behind it and people look up to, and is innovative.

What are the most forward thinking, innovative companies in the world?

1a - Apple
1b - Nike
2 - Google

[skyscraper]

I think the whole specialty uniform thing has to have some mutual interest. Even if we were interested, I doubt they would be interested in us.

[NickSMU17]

I can't believe how quick these TCU guys get over here the minute anyone utters "TCU"

You guys truly need to stay on your own board...

[smupony94]

they are always welcome

[RE Tycoon]

Yeah well so is every National Champion lately-I don't see Alabama, LSU, Texas, USC, Florida wearing these stupid uniforms. Auburn will take this one tonite. Non Factor

Florida does...



I expected you to get how important this is.

[NickSMU17]

Nike sucks. Not a big deal. Their cleats almost cost them the Rose Bowl.

However, Adidas needs to get on their game soon.

Yes, SMU is stale

I could care less about the actual product, I want to be associated with a brand that has something behind it and people look up to, and is innovative.

What are the most forward thinking, innovative companies in the world?

1a - Apple
1b - Nike
2 - Google

What UA has done in less than 10 years in the current marketplace is downright amazing...The fact that they didn't sell out and look to be in it for the long haul is encouraging. I think we should tie our line to them...

[FroggieFever]

Yeah well so is every National Champion lately-I don't see Alabama, LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio St, USC, Florida wearing these stupid uniforms. Auburn will take this one tonite. Non Factor

Actually, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Florida, Texas, and Alabama wore them.

[NickSMU17]

They wear them but they are far more traditional than Oregon or TCwho...

[RE Tycoon]

Also, I'm not saying it's all about the uniform either, that is one small part. It's associating the SMU program(s) with something people want to be associated with...people freaking rioted in dozens of cities when they released a Nike shoe a few weeks ago.

Is it stupid? Hell yes, but we can't ignore it. The answer may not be Nike, but we should demand more out of whoever out partners are and try to find the ones with buzz.