How college fans reacted to the Kaepernick-Nike ad
The ties between Nike and the University of North Carolina run deep. For the current generation of college athletes, the two entities have been linked by Michael Jordan, the school’s most famous alumnus. That association has elevated the Tar Heels, both financially and in recruiting, where the Jordan Brand has significant cachet.
Nike is such a core part of North Carolina’s identity these days, it would be hard to envision the Tar Heels wearing anything else.
Yet beginning on Sept. 4, North Carolina athletics director Bubba Cunningham received a series of e-mails from fans imploring the school to drop Nike after it announced a new ad campaign featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
“The recent events concerning Colin Kaepernick as the new ‘face of Nike’ is just truly disgusting, unpatriotic and supportive of everything un-American,” Larry Hill, who signed his e-mail as a 1971 graduate of UNC’s pharmacy school, wrote to Cunningham. “Nike in its support of Kaepernick is showing it's true colors of ‘greed and support of politics in sports.’ ... Politics does not need to be involved in sports. I will still be supportive to ‘My University’ in continuing to purchase Carolina products and apparel, but not from Nike!”
The ties between Nike and the University of North Carolina run deep. For the current generation of college athletes, the two entities have been linked by Michael Jordan, the school’s most famous alumnus. That association has elevated the Tar Heels, both financially and in recruiting, where the Jordan Brand has significant cachet.
Nike is such a core part of North Carolina’s identity these days, it would be hard to envision the Tar Heels wearing anything else.
Yet beginning on Sept. 4, North Carolina athletics director Bubba Cunningham received a series of e-mails from fans imploring the school to drop Nike after it announced a new ad campaign featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
“The recent events concerning Colin Kaepernick as the new ‘face of Nike’ is just truly disgusting, unpatriotic and supportive of everything un-American,” Larry Hill, who signed his e-mail as a 1971 graduate of UNC’s pharmacy school, wrote to Cunningham. “Nike in its support of Kaepernick is showing it's true colors of ‘greed and support of politics in sports.’ ... Politics does not need to be involved in sports. I will still be supportive to ‘My University’ in continuing to purchase Carolina products and apparel, but not from Nike!”
Though recent opinion polls and limited early data suggest that promoting Kaepernick may help Nike in the long run, the initial burst of publicity included Kaepernick critics encouraging a boycott of the company, and even posting videos on social media of them burning shoes and cutting the Nike swoosh off clothing.
Because Trump has seized on this issue numerous times over the past two years, accusing NFL players who kneel of being disrespectful to the flag and members of the military, it was only natural that the anger over Kaepernick would trickle down to college sports, where a number of high-profile schools have multi-million dollar contracts with Nike and tout that relationship as an advantage in recruiting.
Through open-records requests, USA TODAY Sports sought e-mails from athletics directors at Nike schools in conservative-leaning states where Trump remains relatively popular. The correspondence provides a snapshot into what athletics directors were hearing from fans in the days immediately after the ad campaign with Kaepernick was announced, and in some cases, how schools choreographed their responses.
Some did not produce records before the publication of this story. Alabama said athletics director Greg Byrne did not receive any e-mails on this topic.
Cunningham answered calls for North Carolina to drop Nike with a simple answer that neither endorsed nor denounced the Kaepernick campaign but made clear that North Carolina had no plans to change brands.
“Thank you for sharing your thoughts,” Cunningham wrote. “As I’m sure you know, our University does not have a role in choosing who or how Nike promotes its brand and athletes. Our association with Nike goes far beyond this advertising campaign. We truly appreciate your continued support of Carolina. Go Heels!”
Arkansas
More than a dozen e-mails critical of Nike turned up in athletics director Hunter Yurachek’s inbox, including from Kim Buie, who threatened to stop buying Razorbacks apparel that included the Nike logo.
Another e-mail, from Jeff Ashcraft, mentioned that he went online to look for the Nike shirt football coach Chad Morris wore in Arkansas’ season opener on Sept. 1. But Ashcraft claimed he wouldn't buy it now because “the Arkansas Razorbacks and Colin Kaepernick are linked.”
“This should not be allowed to happen,” he wrote. “While I’m guessing we need Nike’s money and we probably can’t get out of our deal anyway … but someone in the athletic department should make an announcement that we disagree with Nike’s decision.”
Joseph Hewgley, who said he graduated from Arkansas both for undergraduate and law school, took issue with Kaepernick wearing socks that depicted police officers as pigs (he later apologized for that) and a T-shirt he once wore that featured Fidel Castro meeting with Malcolm X.
“As a lifelong Razorback fan, I love our wild pig mascot. But Colin Kaepernick’s use of the pig slur against police officers doesn’t fall within the bounds of decency or the affection Razorback fans have for our mascot,” Hewgley wrote. “Razorback fans are overwhelmingly patriotic Americans. We stand for our National Anthem. We support freedom and our troops. And we thank all first responders, including police officers, for their service.”
Bruce Rice, who claimed to be a 1971 graduate, said Yurachek shouldn’t “waste time calling me for donations to pay for clothing sold by a company that champions a traitor. Can’t wait to see how Hawg fans react to NIKE uniforms. I’m rooting for the Hawgs but want NIKE GONE!”
Kentucky
The relationship between Kentucky and Nike goes back more than 20 years and has only grown stronger since basketball coach John Calipari arrived. In 2013, Kentucky agreed to a new contract with Nike worth $47 million in cash and apparel. Moreover, the Nike connection almost certainly helps the basketball program with regard to top recruits who have been aligned with Nike-affiliated AAU programs.
Still, for Charles Schweinhart, Kentucky wearing the swoosh in the wake of the Kaepernick ad was enough to threaten to switch allegiances and root for Adidas-affiliated Louisville.
“My life, therefore my family’s life, revolves around U of K athletics,” Schweinhart wrote to athletics director Mitch Barnhart. “The news from Nike is very troubling. I can not support a company that rewards un-American actions. Will this cause me to divorce Kentucky? Should I start pulling for the Adidas school in Jefferson County. Help me. To leave the (Big Blue Nation) would cause my father to roll over in his grave, as well as making me change 3/4 of my wardrobe. I love the Cats. HELP.”
Lawrence Hayes, who claimed to be a 1987 Kentucky graduate, wrote to both Barnhart and president Eli Capilouto that Kentucky would be “hypocrites” to stay with Nike in light of Louisville removing “Papa” John Schnatter’s name from its football stadium due to a racially insensitive remark.
“Since Nike has decided to align itself with those who profess hatred of America, it’s incumbent upon our university to sever any ties to that company just as you did with Papa John’s,” Hayes wrote. “Failure to do so is a clear admission that the University of Kentucky agrees with those individuals and companies that spew hatred of the United States of America.”
LSU
The day after Nike’s campaign was announced, William Donahue, who described himself as a 2004 alumnus now living in Connecticut, sent a short email copied to several LSU officials, including athletics director Joe Alleva and school president F. King Alexander.
“I would like to know what is LSU’s position regarding the Nike equipment that is used by the student athletes. I would expect LSU to separate itself from Nike in light of the recent Colin Kaepernick endorsement. Supporting Colin Kaeprernick (sic) via Nike is not in keep with LSU’s core values and its military history. I look forward to your response and your immediate action.”
Shortly after that, e-mails show, deputy athletics director Verge Ausberry spent 45 minutes on the phone with Donahue. While it’s unclear what they spoke about, Ausberry forwarded a second e-mail to his bosses in which he appeared to offer Donahue game tickets and field passes at some future date. Regardless, Donahue’s concerns had obviously been assuaged.
“No matter how difficult the conversation, communications work,” Ausberry wrote. “Remember they just want to be heard.”
“Wonderful!” Alleva responded.
It’s unclear whether Ausberry made more of those calls, but other fans were less diplomatic than Donahue. Leighton Stephenson, an LSU class of 1971 alumnus living in Colorado and Vietnam veteran, wrote Alleva asking if there was a clause in LSU’s contract with Nike, which provides $1 million in cash and up to $3.5 million in apparel allowance annually, that would enable the school to be released.
“I implore you to not gratuitously take Nike's millions as a similar voice for what is not only a bad business decision, but a slap in the face by politicizing this issue that is so divisive,” Stephenson wrote.
Oklahoma State
On Sept. 6, Ryan Snow wrote to athletics director Mike Holder with a slightly different take on the school’s Nike contract.
“I’m sure your inbox has been flooded with complaints about our athletic deal with Nike,” Snow wrote. “Remember, 1718-year-old black men who want to play sports at Oklahoma State are not offended by the new ad. They’re pleased Nike is standing with them and their struggles; and with our Nike partnership, Oklahoma State stands with them too. It’s the recruits that matter, not the old white men sitting in the seats.”
That e-mail was notable enough for Holder to forward to school president Burns Hargis, senior vice president and general counsel Gary Clark and deputy director of athletics Chad Weiberg.
“As an ‘old white man sitting in the stands’ I am offended. (smiley face emoji),” Clark wrote back, clearly intended as a lighthearted response.
West Virginia
In a state where Trump won 68% of the vote in 2016, a presidential tweet carries a lot of weight. That could explain why there seemed to be at least some coordination, and a lot of diplomacy, in how university president E. Gordon Gee and athletics director Shane Lyons responded to Nike e-mails.
“Thank you so very much for your thoughtful note,” Gee responded to Bruce Collins, a former West Virginia football player who wrote him an e-mail on Sept. 9. “As you know, there are significant debates in this country over Nike’s decision to feature Colin Kaepernick. As a university president, I am a strong believer in the First Amendment, including freedom of speech. That is their decision and their right to do what they have done, whether or not I disagree.”