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Russell Athletic Losing Another College Team

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While the move isn't set in stone, Ohio University (of the MAC) has put out an RFP regarding its equipment contract for major sports. If they sign with another apparel provider (likely Adidas, Nike, or Under Armour), there will be only 9 college football teams at any level that wear uniforms by Russell Athletic. As it stands today, there are only 6 FBS schools using Russell, and, of those, Georgia Tech is the only team in a BCS-AQ conference to wear the R logo. Not only that, but Tech is the only "major university" to wear the brand. After a height of popularity in the 1990's, the apparel provider is under new management from Fruit of the Loom (and parent Berkshire Hathaway) since 2006, with new headquarters in Bowling Green, Kentucky (though BGSU uses Adidas) and makes most of its equipment sales in youth and high school sports. Former Alumni Association President Joe Irwin is just one prominent alumnus whose career went through Russell Corp when it was located in Alexander City, Alabama under its historic Southern business regime. Rumor has it these alumni connections are the key (and glue) to Georgia Tech's unique and faithful relationship with the brand.