Nike has signed on as the official outfitter for the Providence College Friars in an expanded relationship.
“We are excited to partner with Nike, the worldwide leader in the industry,” Providence College Athletics Director Bob Driscoll said. “Nike has long been associated with the Friar men’s and women’s basketball teams and now our entire athletic department will be part of this relationship. The recent success of our athletic program, including the men’s basketball team under our Head Coach Ed Cooley, helped foster this great relationship with Nike.”
It was announced last week that the Friars finished 54th of 293 institutions in the final 2015 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings, released on June 26. Providence also finished No. 2 among NCAA Division I non-FBS/FCS institutions and No. 1 among BIG EAST Conference members, having accumulated a total of 450.50 points. The Friars’ 54th-place finish marks the highest final ranking under the direction of Driscoll, and the College’s second-highest finish all-time since the Director’s Cup was founded in 1993-94. Providence’s top finish in the Directors’ Cup was 44th in 1993-94. The Friars had a number of teams qualify for the NCAA Tournament in 2014-15, including the men’s basketball team, the men’s soccer team, which reached the College Cup, and the men’s hockey team, which won the NCAA title.
“Nike is incredibly excited to continue working with Providence College, and specifically Coach Cooley,” Eric Lautenbach, Sr. Director, Nike Basketball Sports Marketing said. “I believe in Ed, and Bob, and have seen the commitment and vision they have for Providence basketball and all sports. We consider Providence an important and a terrific partnership.”