Why can not university football programs abandon the garment giant?

More: If it concerned more than making money, Nike should have endorsed Kaepernick sooner.

It remains to be seen whether the Kaepernick campaign will have a significant impact on Nike's bottom line, but nothing indicates that one of the world's largest companies risks losing its partnership with university sports programs. . per year of the giant of the shoe.

"Schools can not stop any: Nike, Under Armor, Adidas," said David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute. "They do not have the contractual capacity to do it."

While contracts between schools and Nike vary, there are usually only two outlets: Nike goes bankrupt or does not pay its promised upfront dollars.

"It's a big deal of money and money," said Bob Dorfman, creative director of Baker Street Advertising, a San Francisco-based company. "These schools receive a nice penny. Nike and Nike, in turn, probably benefit from a good return on investment. In addition, what is the alternative?

These alternatives – looking for a partnership with another shoe company – can not be explored until the end of the respective contracts. Alabama is receiving about $ 5 million a year from Nike for an agreement that was recently extended until 2025, AL.com reported in August.

This did not stop many people on Facebook and Twitter from spreading false information that Alabama was abandoning Nike, which would probably have pushed Nike to sue the university for breach of contract. The fact-checking site, Snopes, even published an article to fix the problem.

Jessica Pare, spokesperson for the Alabama Athletics Department, told USA TODAY Sports that the school was not commenting on Nike's advertising campaign. Sandra Carreon-John, a spokeswoman for Nike, told USA TODAY Sports that she could not comment on college relations.

Nike has contracts with 52.8% of FBS schools and is particularly dominant in the SEC where it has 10 of 14 teams, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida (via Nike Brand Jordan), Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee. and Vanderbilt, according to Football Scoop.

And the terms of several of these contracts, like the one at the University of Kentucky with Nike, include the same language that forbids schools to "polish, crush, or save to cover or hide part of the Nike logo. . "

"Athletics departments need this money at a time when the tourniquet (presence) is down and you are in a situation where assessments, over time, could become a problem for them," Carter said. "From a tax point of view, I do not think they'll (give up sponsorship projects from sports builders)."

The links between colleges and shoe companies can have disadvantages. An Adidas leader and entrepreneur has been charged with electronic fraud in a federal corruption and corruption scandal that rocked the world of men's basketball last September and led to the fall of head coach Rick Pitino. other coaches.

Nike, Adidas and Under Armor, however, remain a major attraction for rookies, although some players have broken the NCAA rules to sell their equipment.

And Nike's new advertising campaign could raise the profile of the company to young athletes, who are attracted to the brand by some of the biggest names in the sports landscape such as LeBron James and Serena Williams. Both are featured on Kaepernick's advertising blitz. .

"These are young people who expect brands to be something," said Kim Skildum-Reid, Australia-based corporate sponsorship consultant. "A brand taking a stand on something that resonates will have tremendous commercial potential for Nike."