Jordan Brand and Nike recently made a commitment to HBCU design school Pensole Lewis College. Letters shows that Jordan Brand has placed its money where its consumer support comes from, but in aligning with Howard, the brand may have inadvertently placed itself into an ongoing issue for students on campus. This partnership with Howard is a much more higher profile sponsorship than Pensole and it could shine a light on an important problem at Howard and force Jordan Brand to assist as the brand utilizes students as marketing assets.
Last year students at Howard held rallies and sit-ins to protest inhumane living conditions at Howard University. The amount of Nike’s partnership with Howard is undisclosed and in press release information, the total is aggregated with the “100-million-dollar commitment to the Black community… Beyond excellence on both court and field, Jordan Brand also aims to unlock new opportunities in recruitment that simultaneously elevate athletic and academic experiences.”
Jordan Brand’s additional comment that they will assist with academic experiences, places the brand into an ongoing issue plaguing Howard University, living conditions. Just last year NBC and other news outlets delivered jarring information on a student protest at Howard:
The Washington, D.C., university, one of the nation’s leading historically Black schools, has recently been under fire after mold was identified in at least 38 dorm rooms out of 2,700 total rooms on campus, a university official confirmed to NBC News. Students have also complained about rodents, flooding and other haphazard conditions. But both current students and alumni have raised concerns over the condition of some residence halls for decades. Howard U’s housing issues aren’t new. They’ve just hit a boiling point. (nbcnews.com)
School sponsorships by brands are typically apparel and sports related connections solely. Brands shouldn’t be expected to go within and beyond in their relationships with colleges they sponsor. While the distance from the educational aspect is fine at major universities like Alabama or Kentucky, who have endowments of 1.5 billion and 1 billion dollars respectively, maintaining distance from student issues isn’t a path sports brands can take with HBCUs. HBCUs require additional support from donors and sponsors. Take Under Armour’s recent partnership with their hometown HBCU Morgan State:
Under Armour Caps Off Black History Month with a Double Down of Support for HBCUs
Two Distinct Reasons
The housing situation appears to be a major, ongoing issue that Jordan Brand may find itself brought into because it shows that the college is getting considerable financial support from sponsors. With further research, the second reason Jordan Brand may encounter scrutiny is celebrating the sponsorship of Howard is undercut by the reality of Howard being the most powerful HBCU in the country. Pensole Lewis is an excellent option for Nike to support and there are a host of HBCUs that would benefit from a portion of Nike’s 100-million-dollar commitment to the Black community. Why is this important?
Jordan Brand and Howard University is nothing like the partnership with PENSOLE Lewis College. Jordan Brand’s 3-million-dollar commitment will empower Pensole in an almost incomprehensible manner. The partnership with Howard isn’t like Under Armour’s partnership with Morgan State. Morgan State has a large endowment for an HBCU at 42.1 million dollars but compared to Howard it becomes evident of the disparity in endowments at HBCUs.
Mississippi Valley State University endowment: 2.5 million
Alcorn State University endowment: 20.2 million
Norfolk State: 24.3 million
Coppin State: 11.4 million
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Howard’s endowment is $712.5 million according to data site TPinsight.com. If Jordan Brand’s partnership with Howard is on par with the University of Florida, then the deal with Howard could be worth 3 million dollars for a college that might have an issue with the misappropriation of funds. This is not to call out Jordan Brand and create an issue for Nike, but it is an interesting detail in Jordan Brand’s highlighting of their support of Howard as a groundbreaking moment for Jordan Brand. If Jordan Brand is called on by the student body to fight with the students, it could lead to a problematic situation for the brand.