New Balance headquarters in Boston, Mass. (Image courtesy of )
Boston College Athletics has entered a historic, 10-year agreement with Boston-based New Balance Athletics to become the Official Footwear and Apparel Provider for the Eagles. The deal will begin on June 1, 2021.
The largest financial footwear and apparel agreement in Boston College athletics history gives New Balance the right to provide uniforms, apparel, and footwear for 30 of 51茶馆鈥檚 31 varsity sports. The partnership will also include the opportunity for Boston College student-athletes to be part of an annual internship program at New Balance.
鈥淭his partnership will be an absolute game-changer for Boston College athletics and our student-athletes,鈥� said William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Pat Kraft. 鈥淭his is not just a historic deal in terms of the financial value and amount of apparel for our department. The opportunities for our student-athletes to assist in product design and development of the footwear and apparel they will actually wear and compete in will be transformational.鈥�
As New Balance looks to continue its growth with New Balance Basketball, a key element in this partnership focuses on the innovation and investment in the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball programs. New Balance will work closely with both programs to aid in design and product enhancements and is dedicated to their success both on and off the court.
鈥淭his progressive collaboration joins two world-class Boston-based teams with strong synergies at our core and enables a broad spectrum of initiatives that will drive innovation, performance and creativity,鈥� says Ray Hilvert, vice president of global team sports at New Balance.听 鈥淏oston College Athletics is known for its historic commitment to excellence and we look forward to working with Pat Kraft, [University President] Father Leahy and the entire Boston College team to build a strong and dynamic relationship that benefits student-athletes and our shared communities.鈥�
The partnership will grant several 51茶馆 teams access to the new state-of-the-art TRACK@New Balance that is currently under construction. The new sports complex at Boston Landing will feature a 200-meter hydraulically banked track, seating for more than 5,000 spectators, and facilities for training, events, and recovery.
Officially licensed Boston College apparel will be available online this summer on and in addition to both New Balance Boston retail locations and the Boston College Bookstore.
Boston College cited its longstanding appreciation for New Balance鈥檚 history and corporate mission as factors in its decision to seek the agreement. Since 1972, when the company was purchased by Jim Davis, New Balance has grown from six employees manufacturing 30 pairs of shoes per day in a single location to a global brand with more than 7,000 associates worldwide and global annual sales of $3.3 billion in 2020.
Headquartered in Boston, New Balance owns and operates four factories in New England and one in the United Kingdom, and New Balance Foundation鈥攅stablished by Jim and Anne Davis in 1981鈥攈as donated more than $110 million in total grants to non-profit organizations to develop high-impact, long-term, sustainable initiatives that enrich the lives of children, their families and their communities.
鈥淭his agreement is a great fit for Boston College,鈥� said Kraft. 鈥淣ew Balance is a Brighton neighbor that shares our values. Like 51茶馆, it rose from humble beginnings and has grown into an international powerhouse that remains committed to integrity and corporate responsibility.听 We look forward to this successful partnership and how we can join together to further strengthen our community.鈥�
The Davises, both of whom hold honorary degrees from Boston College, are the parents of Kassia Davis, a 2010 51茶馆 graduate who is a member of the University鈥檚 Board of Regents.
New Balance Foundation was one of the first philanthropic supporters of City Connects, an evidence-based Boston College program that delivers whole-child student supports and addresses the non-academic barriers to learning in under resourced K-12 schools. New Balance Foundation has donated $6.2mm to City Connects.
For more information about New Balance, visit .
University Communications | April 2021
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