March Madness Sneaker Explainer: What college basketball fans need to know about sneakers this year.
Click here to read the story at si.com.
Discussion Questions:
- What is sponsorship?
- Why do businesses and brands sponsor sports teams?
- Why do footwear brands sponsor college basketball programs?
- Why might they sign college basketball players to NIL deals?
- According to NCAA rules, players must wear the footwear brand associated with the program’s sponsor during games. How might that be a problem for a brand signing an individual player (like Reebok signing Angel Reese) who plays for a team sponsored by a competitor (Reese plays for LSU, who is sponsored by Nike)?
- Last year, South Carolina guard Aliyah Boston was the face of a national Under Armour advertising campaign as part of a NIL deal. However, when she joined the WNBA as a professional this summer, she signed a deal with adidas. Do you think Under Armour regrets that marketing decision? Why or why not?
- What is a signature sneaker?
- Why do you think footwear brands sign deals with individual players and create signature sneakers?
- According to this story, do any college players have a signature sneaker?
- Why do you think that might be?
- What are “Mamba Programs” and why is the NCAA tournament important to that program?
- What is a “player-exclusive colorway”, and why do you think those sneakers are not typically available for sale to the general public?
- What is a sneaker collaboration?
- Why do you think collaborations are so popular?
- Think about your favorite college basketball player or team. What footwear brand do they wear? How might that brand benefit from the player or team wearing those sneakers?