Eugene's Bethel School Board Monday voted unanimously to a deal with Nike for student athletes to wear the company's uniforms.
Under the deal, Bethel can purchase discounted uniforms and receive a 15-thousand dollar rebate each year for 5 years. This is for varsity athletes at Willamette High School. Bethel spokesman Pat McGillivray says the district will be able to purchase the new uniforms on rotation as old ones wear out.
McGillivray: "As it is right now 80 percent of our teams already wear Nike and the other teams that don't have Nike would like to wear Nike. So we were going in the direction that the coaches like that the students like. So the school board voted unanimously on this proposal because they thought it was best for the kids, not that it was best for Nike."
The Eugene 4J district is also considering an exclusive rights agreement with the Portland-based athletic company. Others in the state including Corvallis, Beaverton and some Portland districts have Nike uniform deals too.