Dist. 203 considering athletic gear deal with Under Armour

Head-to-toe Under Armour gear could be the Naperville Central High School athletic uniform of the future, but not until school board members get a variety of questions answered about a potential advertising agreement with the company.

Administrators have been in talks about a five-year contract that would give Central discounts on coaches' gear and a stipend of $2,400 a year in exchange for wearing Under Armour attire and placing two Under Armour banners at each court or field.

"It is an opportunity to dip our toe into seeking alternative revenue," Deputy Superintendent Kaine Osburn said. "We think it's a good opportunity to see if this is the kind of agreement that can provide value."

Osburn said teams would have five years to transition into wearing only Under Armour uniforms, warm-ups, shoes, socks and headware - any items that would normally be purchased for the whole squad. But that was concerning to some on the board.

"My concern revolves around 'all teams shall exclusively wear and have up to five years to transition into'" Under Armour gear, board member Donna Wandke said. "I don't know what the normal turnover is for uniforms, but I'd think it's over five years."

Osburn said Naperville Central Athletic Director Andrew Lutzenkirchen did not express concerns about the need to buy all new uniforms for all girls and boys sports in a five-year span.

"The idea is not to just get us to spend a lot of money," Osburn said. "That would be self-defeating."

Osburn said the school spends between $15,000 and $20,000 each year on uniforms and gear for sports teams. According to the proposed agreement, 15 percent of the yearly total spent on team products would become a credit for coaches' attire.

Board members questioned whether the discounts and stipend are worth it.

"What is the real value?" board member Jackie Romberg said. "I don't mean to get into operations, but is this amount of money worth it?"

And if the savings will be worthwhile, board members asked, why isn't Naperville North also participating in the agreement?

Board member Mike Jaensch's questions centered on topics not addressed in the contract. A memo from Osburn said some items - such as running shoes - that athletes traditionally buy for themselves are exempt from the Under Armour proposal. But Jaensch said the contract itself never says that.

"Memos are nice," Jaensch said. "Contracts are better."

Board member Susan Crotty asked if the district should evaluate Under Armour's ethics to ensure it is not using sweatshop labor.

"You'd hate to think that our kids are wearing clothes that kids are stuck in shops making and can't get any education," Crotty said.

Superintendent Dan Bridges and Osburn said forging an advertising agreement with an athletic gear provider is a new venture for the district and in the area, making it difficult to answer all of the board's questions.

But before its next meeting on Sept. 21, Bridges said administrators will determine whether the agreement applies to all sport levels and will work with attorneys to ensure the district can opt out of the contract if it isn't beneficial.

"I'm appreciative of looking at alternative revenue sources," Romberg said. "I don't want the board to have so many questions that it looks like we're not excited or not interested in something staff wants. I want to better vet this."