How Auburn Equipment managed the switch to Nike: 'Such an iconic mark'

AUBURN, Ala. – On Friday morning, official Auburn Tigers Nike gear will go on sale to the public for the first time. Fans have been counting down the days since Auburn made the switch to Nike on July 1 after 19 years with Under Armour. 

They have already seen some of the Nike uniform reveals, including football. Now it’s their turn to buy the product. It’s their turn to rep the Nike swoosh and the Auburn logo together. 

“It’s such an iconic mark,” said Tyler Fondren, Auburn’s Director of Football Equipment. “Seeing that on whatever item – whether it’s a shoe, whether it’s a polo or a shirt – it’s been cool seeing the gear come through and seeing the AU logo associated with that iconic mark. From a visual standpoint, it’s going to be great for the fans and players and athletic staff to see.”

For Fondren, fellow Director of Equipment Brad Rapacz, and the entire Auburn Equipment staff, the transition to Nike has been over a year in the making. The deal was first announced on April 9, 2024. Auburn started placing the first Nike orders as early as last August to have things ready in time for the official launch on July 1. 

“We’re excited,” Rapacz said. “Nike has been awesome to work with. We’ll be placing orders this August for 2026-27, and we’ve only been Nike for a month-and-a-half. We were looking at the next year’s product in March. We had not even finished with Under Armour, and we were already looking at Year 2 for Nike.

“I know the athletes are excited. I know the coaches are excited. There’s some pretty good stuff that’s coming. Everyone wants to see the preview for the uniforms. That’s not on me. But seeing stuff roll in, seeing stuff we’ve seen on paper and seen on the website finally start to show up and you get to touch it and feel it – it’s been really good.”

Unlike Rapacz, who is going into his 17th year at Auburn, Fondren didn’t start on the Plains until this past February. For him, there was the unique challenge of getting caught up with the move to Nike when he arrived and learning the orders, learning what everything is for, and learning what quantities were needed.  

There was also the challenge of trying to do all of that discreetly.

“For us, we’ve been kind of hiding in the back corners working on this stuff because we don’t want to have it out there in the open, people seeing us going through Nike stuff,” Fondren said. “We’ve been doing a lot of the preparation behind closed doors. There’s a little sense of relief now that it’s finally here.” 

Fondren credits the job his student managers and other equipment staff members have done over the past few months to prepare and get ready for the massive transition. It was a team effort. But he also knows that the work for his team and the entire equipment staff has just begun.

“With the release, there comes another set of challenges,” Fondren said. “Guys haven’t worn these cleats before. The sizing is going to be all different. We can have everything prepared, everything laid out for everybody, but as soon as we pass it out, we know there are going to be a lot of changes.

“Just battling that and being as prepared as we can be to handle all that and get everybody in what they need to be in will be a challenge.”

The good news? The first challenge is complete. The equipment staff made it through the initial launch. Student-athletes are already working out in their new Nike gear. They have been doing photo shoots in their new Nike uniforms. And coaches have been wearing Nike while out on the road recruiting. The next big obstacle will come next week when fall camp starts. Then it’s the start of soccer season, followed by the start of volleyball season.

But the date Fondren and Rapacz have both circled on the calendar is Aug. 29. It’s the first Auburn football game of the season when the Tigers go on the road to play Baylor. 

“The most important thing is if we get to that first football game and we go off without a hitch and there are no complaints, we’ve been successful,” Rapacz said. “I know volleyball will already be going and so is soccer, but football is the one that is going to have 100 million eyes on it because we are going to be on the road playing another Nike school. Nike is going to be there. Everyone is going to be watching. If we can get through that game without a hitch, I think it’s a success that we’ve made the switch.”

Even then, there will be no time to celebrate because the new Nike basketball uniforms will start rolling in next. Then baseball and softball. At some point, however, it will become the new normal.  

“It's a whole lot of newness for me,” Fondren said. “But once we get established and we know what everybody needs – from that point on, we’re in a routine. That’s what I’m most looking forward to is getting to that point. But I’m excited for all these challenges and changes. It’s all positive.”

One change since the official launch on July 1 is that Fondren and Rapacz, the “gatekeepers” of the new Nike product at Auburn, have seen their level of popularity rise to new heights. 

“Maybe that’s why I went on vacation on July 2. So, I could get away,” Fondren joked. “No, I’m excited for it. There will be a lot of fun questions. There will be a lot of eyeballs. I’m very aware of that and excited to showcase the Nike and AU branding together.”

Beginning Friday, fans will be able to start showcasing the Nike and Auburn brands together.