The FBI’s bust of the seedy underbelly of college basketball coaches, apparel companies, and shoe deals has been broken wide open over the last few days. Nike and Adidas are already under the microscope, and most if not all schools across the country are sponsored by either those two companies or Under Armour, meaning that the tangled web of corruption could spin out to more schools in the future.
Georgia Tech, however, is not sponsored by one of those three companies. They wear Russell Athletic apparel, which sponsors no other power five schools, and only one other FBS school in Southern Miss. So when asked about the bursting scandal in college basketball and the potential effects it might have on his program, Yellow Jackets head coach Paul Johnson had an amusing response:
Paul Johnson: When the FBI/CBB stuff broke, for once in my life, I said I'm glad we're with Russell Athletic.
— David Glenn Show (@DavidGlennShow) September 28, 2017
Naturally, the nerd school of all nerd schools goes with the uncool athletics brand, but it may end up keeping them clear from some of the trouble affecting apparel companies not named Russell Athletic. However, the joy will be short lived for Tech and Johnson, because the Jackets begin a six-year apparel deal with Adidas starting next season.
Russell Athletic’s major two sponsorships are with the Harlem Globetrotters and Little League Baseball, which will be all they have left after Georgia Tech goes to one of the apparel companies under the FBI’s thumb.
But at least for now, Paul Johnson and his team can breathe easy knowing that for now, there is no one from Russell Athletic on the FBI’s watch list at the moment.
