⦁ adidas signs initial group of 15 female student-athletes to name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals spanning women’s basketball, softball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, gymnastics, and track & field.
⦁ To further support student-athletes and their futures, adidas is developing a mentorship program led by basketball icon Candace Parker.
⦁ adidas unveils next stage of partnership with Athlete Ally to facilitate outreach and workshops at eight adidas-partnered NCAA Division 1 college campuses.
NEW YORK [26. Jul 2022] – To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX, adidas has announced a series of brand initiatives and commitments aimed at creating a more equitable and inclusive future of sport. Beginning with the signing of the NIL Agreement (NIL) for 15 female students and female athletes, the brand has expanded its partnership with Athlete Ally to increase its chapter footprint on college campuses, emphasizing its commitment to women in sports and LGBTQI+ athletes .
Additionally, Adidas is working with Candace Parker to develop a mentoring program to guide newly signed student-athletes through the NIL era.
The following student-athletes have been announced as adidas partners:
Maddy Anderson – Mississippi St., soccer Emily Mason – Rutgers, soccer
Brianna Copeland – Indiana, softball Erin Moss – Georgia Tech, volleyball
Lauren Dooley – Kansas, volleyball Moriah Oliveira – Miami, track & field
Kinsey Fiedler – Washington, softball Gianna Pielet – Texas A&M, tennis
Jayci “Jay” Goldsmith – Texas A&M, tennis Izzy Redmond – ASU, gymnastics
Nicklin Hames – Nebraska, volleyball Jaiden Thomas – NC State, soccer
Jameese Joseph – NC State, soccer Hailey Van Lith – Louisville, basketball
India Wells – Grambling State, softball
“As a leading global sports brand, we’re focused on creating long-term equity in sport. That means both investing in the next generation of athletes today and also supporting them in the future,” said Rupert Campbell, president of adidas North America. “We welcome this group of powerful student-athletes to the adidas family and look forward to working alongside them to define what is possible for the future of sport.”
The first batch of student-athletes were unveiled at the branded Title IX celebration in New York City, announced by Billie Jean King and Ally Love, attended by Layshia Clarendon, Kristine Lilly, Ifeoma (Ify) Onumonu, Imani Dorsey, Kelsey Robinson, friends and family.
An Investment in All Athletes
Adidas believes that long-term equality in sports begins with investment. The first all-female student-athlete group builds on the brand’s March announcement to create a comprehensive, equal and inclusive network of NIL ambassadors, reaching over 50,000 eligible students across 23 sports, all genders and 109 D1 colleges Athletes, starting with the Power 5 program and HBCU this fall.
Looking ahead 50 years to Title IX, the Education Amendment that prohibits discrimination against students on the basis of sex, adidas will continue to invest in athletes and programs to increase representation and visibility for a more progressive future of sports equity.
“There is no place in sport for discrimination and we continue to see far too many instances of it today and the heavy impact it has on young athletes,” said Billie Jean King, adidas partner and Title IX pioneer. “The investment in women and LGBTQI+ athletes is a genuine push to accelerate the success and well-being of all athletes and I’m proud to be involved as part of the adidas family in this step towards long-term equity.”
Creating Mentorship Programs
A new program developed in partnership with basketball icon and longtime adidas partner Candice Parker will mentor student-athletes as part of Parker’s vision to advance the sport.
To welcome new student-athletes into the adidas family, Parker and her production company, Baby Hair Productions, co-hosted a photo session earlier this month to introduce the new roster, giving athletes a chance to meet Parker while maintaining availability. Ongoing working relationships with each other.
“I have the incredible opportunity to pay it forward with the next generation of athletes,” said Candace Parker. “I am so happy to be partnered with adidas who is aligned with my commitment to developing this mentorship program which will set these extraordinary student-athletes up for greatness in sport and life.”
Beginning Parker’s mentoring program, all student-athletes join basketball star Layshia Clarendon and soccer stars Ifeoma (Ify) Onumonu, Kristine Lilly, Imani Dorsey and Ally Love for the first meeting of the Title IX Celebration. Exciting conversations on relevant topics such as coping with adversity, navigating college in the new NIL environment, transitioning from college to professional, managing social media following to promote sports of all genders, and more, from professional athletes who have been in their shoe.
Ifeoma (Ify) Onumonu, Imani Dorsey and Ally Love also joined a panel at the event in New York City to discuss the importance of mentoring a new roster of student-athletes.
Pursuing Allyship on College Campuses
This fall, Adidas is expanding its partnership with Athlete Ally for outreach and workshops at the eight NCAA college campuses where Adidas has partnered. This strategic investment will advance education, policy reform and student-athlete organizations to promote equal opportunity on campus and in athletics, with the goal of expanding Athlete Ally’s network of college chapters.
Athlete Ally Campus Chapters are safe college and university spaces where student-athletes can come together to create and sustain an inclusive LGBTQI+ sports community and envision a more representative sports future. Through these chapters, Athlete Ally and Adidas will encourage fans, athletes and students to have an open dialogue about fostering acceptance and allies in sports.
Layshia Clarendon and Athlete Ally founder Hudson Taylor join Adidas to discuss the importance of investing in the future of inclusive sport. Louisville women’s basketball coaches Ally Love and Jeff Walz moderated a discussion on why our actions matter and the value of sports leagues at the brand’s ninth celebration in New York City.
“I started Athlete Ally as a college wrestler, and I have seen firsthand the power of college athletes to model allyship and respect for their coaches, teammates, and fans,” said Hudson Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of Athlete Ally. “By equipping college athletes with the tools to champion LGBTQI+ inclusion on and off the playing field, Athlete Ally and adidas are working to shape the future of sport into what we know it can and should be. We are incredibly grateful to adidas for this partnership.”
As part of a growing partnership, adidas and Athlete Ally will host the inaugural Athlete Leadership Summit on partner campuses, bringing together athlete ambassadors, athletic departments, student-athletes and advocates to discuss advancing inclusivity across the country progress and next steps.
To celebrate the announcement, adidas will be hosting a special giveaway from July 27th to August 3rd, featuring shoes signed by each of the 15 newly signed student-athlete partners. Fans can learn more here and sign up for a chance to win.
The full live stream can be viewed live and on-demand on @adidasnyc Twitter and follow on Instagram using the hashtags #MoreIsPossible and #ImpossibleIsNothing.
About adidas
adidas is a global leader in the sporting goods industry. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany, the company employs more than 61,000 people across the globe and generated sales of € 21.2 billion in 2021.