Western Kentucky University And Russell Athletic® Announce 5-year, $3.5M Apparel And Uniform Extension

BOWLING GREEN, Ky., Aug. 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Western Kentucky University Athletic Department and Russell Athletic® announced today a five-year, $3.5M renewal to supply athletic apparel for its intercollegiate athletic teams and partner on new and innovative uniform designs and technology. The extension, which will run from July 1, 2016 –   June 30, 2021 and represents a significant increase from the previous deal, allows Western Kentucky to continue providing student-athletes with uniforms, sideline, workout and travel apparel from Russell Athletic®.

Coming off of a thrilling 49-48 overtime victory vs. Central Michigan in the 2014 Bahamas Bowl, the WKU football team is looking forward to continued success during the 2015 season, boasting one of the nation's most high-powered offenses. A redesign of the Hilltoppers' football uniform, as well as other teams, will be part of the new extension.

"Western Kentucky and Russell Athletic have experienced a truly unique partnership being headquartered so close to one another, and we are thrilled to continue working with such a successful athletic department and coaching staff," said Russell Athletic Senior Vice President, General Manager Robby Davis.  "This partnership continues our mission as a premier team provider of collegiate athletics, and we look forward to the next five years as the Official Uniform and Apparel Provider to Western Kentucky Athletics."

Russell Athletic has been an official partner of Western Kentucky since 2007, a period that has seen the Hilltoppers rise to national prominence and solidify themselves within Conference USA. In that span, both groups have worked closely together on advanced uniform and product designs that have allowed athletes throughout the program to perform to the highest of their ability.

"On behalf of our entire athletics department, I want to thank Russell Athletic for their continued loyalty and dedication to all of our programs," WKU Director of Athletics Todd Stewart said. "Russell Athletic has always strived to provide our student-athletes with the most advanced state-of-the-art uniforms and apparel to compete at the highest level. Their impact on each of our programs has been significant, and their confidence and support of WKU Athletics throughout our transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision level played a vital role in enabling us to have a successful transition. WKU and Russell Athletic are both proud members of the Bowling Green community, and we are excited to continue this terrific partnership."

About Russell Brands, LLC           

For more than 100 years, Russell Brands, LLC, has supplied America's athletes and teams with the latest innovations to help them perform at their best and is a leading supplier of apparel and team uniforms at the high school, college and professional levels. Russell's collegiate licensed products and athletic wear are broadly distributed and marketed through department stores, sports specialty stores, retail chains and college bookstores. For more information, please visit www.RussellAthletic.com, Facebook and Twitter.

About Western Kentucky University Athletics

Western Kentucky University, a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision and Conference USA, sponsors 16 sport programs that compete at the Division I level. In its first year as a member of C-USA in 2014-15, WKU set a league record with eight conference championships and a bowl game victory and also had a league-high 56 student-athletes with a grade point average of 3.75 or higher. For more information on Hilltopper and Lady Topper Athletics, visit www.WKUSports.com or follow on social media @WKUSports on Twitter and WKU Athletics on Facebook.

SOURCE Russell Athletic