Just before Christmas break, Mount Carmel announced a new partnership that will affect the appearance of the school’s athletic teams starting next school year:  a sponsorship deal that will lead to all athletic uniforms being branded by Nike.

Phil Segroves, Associate Director of Enrollment, believes that the deal will represent “a great step” for  MC, since “Nike is the most recognizable brand in the world for students between the ages 13-18.”  Segroves’s assertion is supported by a CNBC survey that explored teenagers’ preferences in clothing brands, in which Nike-branded sportswear topped the list.

The possibility of a deal between Nike and Mount Carmel originated over the summer, when Segroves was introduced to Andrew Mertz from Nike by Jeff Chaney of BSN (Best Supply Network).  The final decision was made by Fr. Tony Mazurkiewicz, Mount Carmel’s president, after extensive research by Athletic Director Dan Lacount, Marketing Specialist Claire Spakowski, and Finance Director Jim Gilbert.

Segroves noted that the current product lines in the MC Spirit Shop will be replaced with Nike apparel.  “We will be phasing out other items, offering all Nike products for students, parents, and alumni.”

To kick-off the product conversion, the Spirit Shop held a 30% off clearance sale for all items in the store last Friday, January 29.  With many MC students buying apparel at discount prices, it appeared that the sale was a success.

For the Mount Carmel community, this is an exciting new step.  Students especially are looking forward to this change. According to junior Aaron Zaragoza, the deal is “helpful because all of the (Mount Carmel) sports teams are under one brand now.”