Orem is not a Nike town.

There is no swoosh to be found.

From here on out, Utah Valley University is all Adidas.

Utah Valley University athletic department recently reached a five-year an exclusive apparel, footwear, accessory and equipment deal with Adidas that begins this fall.

The deal will outfit all 15 NCAA Division I programs at Utah Valley. It will also provide the school with savings on uniforms and equipment needs.

Signing deals with athletic companies like Nike and Adidas is something many major Division I schools are doing. Athletic Director Mike Jacobsen said the deal will save the school some money, but noted that the biggest advantage will be joining the Adidas team.

"I think it means more to the university than they even realize, to be branded by one of the major equipment manufactures and to have them want to sponsor all of our programs. There are some schools where they just do a football program or a basketball program, but they are sponsoring all of our athletic programs," Jacobsen said. "They're being very, very, good to us, especially without football. It brands us with one of the best and I think that's really important for us to partner with them, and I think they feel like they feel the same way about us or they wouldn't have done it."

UVU joins schools like Notre Dame and Michigan, who also have deals with Adidas.

"Adidas is thrilled by the opportunity to partner with Utah Valley University by signing UVU as our newest Adidas Direct Partner," said Adidas Team Representative Chris Terrell. "The Athletic Department has very impressively elevated its program status, both nationally and regionally, in a short time. There is a clear vision at UVU of where they expect to be in the near future and we're thankful to be alongside Wolverine Athletics for that future as they continue to impress both on the field and in the community."

The agreement also provides extra incentives to programs that achieve NCAA postseason appearances, Great West Conference Championships and conference coach of the year awards.

Jared Sumsion, UVU Executive Director of the Wolverine Club, worked closely on the deal.

He said, "When Adidas presented to us--we felt their desire to create an affiliation. They made it easy for us to want to join their growing team of collegiate universities. This contract will not only benefit the athletic department but other entities on campus. It is a win-win for us all."

Before UVU reached the agreement, each of its athletic programs was on its own to work out deals with different athletic and apparel companies. The advantage under that system was programs that needed specialized equipment like baseball or softball could go with manufactures who specialize in that equipment.

Adidas doesn't make baseball or softball bats, but UVU will still be able to use other companies for equipment under the deal.

"Having gone through the whole process, it's affecting every coach in a different way," said softball coach Todd Fairbourne. "For some its a mixed bag. For me I've been with Mizuno and the biggest thing is all the relationships aside, Mizuno lends itself to baseball and softball. I'm glad it's with Adidas, because I think they're more flexible than what Nike would have been."

Jacobsen knows the changeover may cause some problems at first, but believes the deal will be best for the overall program for the future.

"It was hard for a lot of our coaches because they had good relationships with different distributors," Jacobsen said. "To go away from them and to go with someone new was a leap of faith for them, but they were willing to do it because they see the big picture and how it will help us all in the future."

• Neil Warner can be reached at nwarner@heraldextra.com.

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