Christopher Royster (left) and JT Smith, athletes participating in Bandit Running’s Unsponsored Project, at the 2024 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
Courtesy: Bandit Running
At the U.S. Track and Field Olympics this year, there is an army of unsponsored athletes dressed in all-black, logo-less clothing that are drawing attention.
The 35 athletes are supported by clothing company Bandit Running’s Unsponsored Project, an attempt to challenge the standard sponsorship model for professional athletes and promote emerging competitors.
Unsponsored athletes in track and field typically purchased their own clothing emblazoned with big brand emblems, essentially providing free advertising for the companies. Instead, Bandit Running offers all-black jerseys and warm-ups to Olympic hopefuls — along with short-term endorsement deals.
Bandit co-founder Tim West said the company is awarding at least 35 two-week contracts to unsponsored runners in the Trials, a U.S. Olympian’s entry into the quadrennial games. The offerings consist of unbranded clothing, a platform and cash to cover costs. Last year, Bandit partnered with nine athletes.
“We’re really hoping for a new sponsorship model where brands take a significant portion of their budget and use it on amateur and sub-elite athletes to help grow the sport. I think when you go up, you’re kind of at the bottom.” “Everything goes up,” West told CNBC.
According to West, Bandit’s deals contain an exit clause that allows athletes who receive a traditional sponsorship offer during the trials an easy exit.
Given the high costs associated with competing, West said unsponsored athletes are “investing in themselves” and represent an opportunity for brands to step in and help.
And the all-black, logo-free jerseys help draw attention to which athletes may be available for a longer-term contract.
Among them is Courtney Okolo, a 400-meter runner.
After winning a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and being sponsored by Nike Okolo, 30, has been involved with the Unsponsored Project for four years. She said it was difficult to get support when competing without sponsorship, but Bandit’s initiative made it feel like she wasn’t doing everything alone.
Courtney Okolo, an athlete participating in Bandit Running’s Unsponsored Project, at the 2024 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
Courtesy: Bandit Running
Given the cost of training, flying to Eugene, Oregon, for the trials, booking a hotel and purchasing clothing for the competition, Okolo said just showing up to the competition was expensive. Although she added that she was able to make ends meet with the money she earned over four years from her previous sponsorship, few athletes in the sport have such partnerships.
“I know it’s very difficult for a lot of athletes,” Okolo said. “They could still run well, but financially they can’t do it because the training and all that takes so much time. It’s hard to have another full-time career to financially support yourself and train and become the best athlete you can be.” So sometimes you just have to choose one or the other, and that can be really difficult.
Since graduating from college, 26-year-old Brandee Johnson has worked two jobs and a part-time job while training for hours to achieve her Olympic dreams. Johnson is an unsponsored track and field athlete who qualified for the Olympic Trials this year.
Johnson said she joined the Unsponsored Project to achieve her goal in an alternative way while also associating her name with something that has a positive impact on people’s lives.
“It helps me feel more comfortable to take a deep breath and say, ‘Okay, I can do this and I have everything I need to be successful,'” Johnson said.
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2024-06-29 12:00:01
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