DePaul Inks Partnership with Wilson & Luxilon to Sponsor the Blue Demon’s Men’s & Women’s Tennis Programs
5/30/2024 11:00:00 AM | ATHLETICS, MEN'S TENNIS, WOMEN'S TENNIS, BUILDING THE DEPAUL BRAND
CHICAGO—DePaul Athletics has announced a new corporate partnership with Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods Co. and Luxilon to serve as the official racquet and string sponsors for the Blue Demon's men's and women's tennis programs. The sponsorship is Wilson's first-ever collegiate athletics team sponsorship.
The multifaceted sponsorship allows DePaul student-athletes to practice and compete with Wilson and Luxilon's industry-leading, premium tennis products, including racquets, string, racquet bags, and grips. The Blue Demons will exclusively use Wilson's premium U.S. Open tennis balls, which have been the official ball of the U.S. Open since 1978.
As part of the partnership, DePaul will have access to Wilson's Innovation Center, where the Blue Demon's men's and women's tennis athletes can playtest racquets, strings, and other tennis equipment. The 40,000-square-foot facility includes a state-of-the-art "spin lab," which uses a Doppler radar device to analyze the trajectory of a tennis ball coming off the racket of a live player, tracking the spin rate, downward velocity, bounce quality, and other data points that help in-house racket designers perfect new products.
"We are beyond excited to announce a first-ever collegiate partnership with the DePaul Blue Demons," said Andy Stecher, the Collegiate and Promotions Specialist for Wilson Sporting Goods, adding, "We are committed to supporting Wilson's local community, and what a better partner than DePaul University, such an established Chicago sports entity."
"Investing in college tennis by providing high-quality equipment and best-in-class service is critical to us and part of our long-term vision to help grow Wilson as a brand and, ultimately, the sport of tennis as a whole. At Wilson Sporting Goods, we are dedicated to helping fuel the next generation of champions, and our partnership with DePaul will allow us to do just that in the great city of Chicago."
The partnership paves the way for introducing Blue Demon youth tennis camps and racket demo events for the Chicago community, hosted by DePaul and sponsored by Wilson. Further details on these events will be announced later this summer.
"Our new partnership with Wilson and Luxilon represents DePaul's commitment to providing a championship experience for each of our student-athletes and elevating each of our athletic programs," said Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy. "Wilson is an iconic Chicago brand and an industry leader in racquet sports. We are fortunate to partner with a brand that shares our commitment to empowering athletes at every level and engaging the Chicago community in authentic and meaningful ways."
DePaul's men's tennis program is coming off its third BIG EAST Tennis Championship and NCAA Tournament bid in four seasons. The women's program boasts four BIG EAST titles and five NCAA Tournament appearances.
About Wilson
Founded in 1914 in Chicago, Illinois, Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is a leading manufacturer of high-performance sports equipment, apparel, footwear, and accessories. The Wilson Sporting Goods portfolio is made up of the iconic Wilson brand, as well as an exclusive distributor agreement with Luxilon.
Wilson brings more than a century of innovation, history, and heritage across multiple sports, including tennis, baseball, padel, football, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, and golf. Wilson's equipment, game balls and apparel are thoughtfully designed and developed to empower athletes at every level around the world to perform at their best. We use player insights to innovate at new heights and develop cutting-edge equipment and apparel. Wilson, as an Amer Sports brand, helps elevate the world through sport.
The multifaceted sponsorship allows DePaul student-athletes to practice and compete with Wilson and Luxilon's industry-leading, premium tennis products, including racquets, string, racquet bags, and grips. The Blue Demons will exclusively use Wilson's premium U.S. Open tennis balls, which have been the official ball of the U.S. Open since 1978.
As part of the partnership, DePaul will have access to Wilson's Innovation Center, where the Blue Demon's men's and women's tennis athletes can playtest racquets, strings, and other tennis equipment. The 40,000-square-foot facility includes a state-of-the-art "spin lab," which uses a Doppler radar device to analyze the trajectory of a tennis ball coming off the racket of a live player, tracking the spin rate, downward velocity, bounce quality, and other data points that help in-house racket designers perfect new products.
"We are beyond excited to announce a first-ever collegiate partnership with the DePaul Blue Demons," said Andy Stecher, the Collegiate and Promotions Specialist for Wilson Sporting Goods, adding, "We are committed to supporting Wilson's local community, and what a better partner than DePaul University, such an established Chicago sports entity."
"Investing in college tennis by providing high-quality equipment and best-in-class service is critical to us and part of our long-term vision to help grow Wilson as a brand and, ultimately, the sport of tennis as a whole. At Wilson Sporting Goods, we are dedicated to helping fuel the next generation of champions, and our partnership with DePaul will allow us to do just that in the great city of Chicago."
The partnership paves the way for introducing Blue Demon youth tennis camps and racket demo events for the Chicago community, hosted by DePaul and sponsored by Wilson. Further details on these events will be announced later this summer.
"Our new partnership with Wilson and Luxilon represents DePaul's commitment to providing a championship experience for each of our student-athletes and elevating each of our athletic programs," said Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy. "Wilson is an iconic Chicago brand and an industry leader in racquet sports. We are fortunate to partner with a brand that shares our commitment to empowering athletes at every level and engaging the Chicago community in authentic and meaningful ways."
DePaul's men's tennis program is coming off its third BIG EAST Tennis Championship and NCAA Tournament bid in four seasons. The women's program boasts four BIG EAST titles and five NCAA Tournament appearances.
About Wilson
Founded in 1914 in Chicago, Illinois, Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is a leading manufacturer of high-performance sports equipment, apparel, footwear, and accessories. The Wilson Sporting Goods portfolio is made up of the iconic Wilson brand, as well as an exclusive distributor agreement with Luxilon.
Wilson brings more than a century of innovation, history, and heritage across multiple sports, including tennis, baseball, padel, football, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, and golf. Wilson's equipment, game balls and apparel are thoughtfully designed and developed to empower athletes at every level around the world to perform at their best. We use player insights to innovate at new heights and develop cutting-edge equipment and apparel. Wilson, as an Amer Sports brand, helps elevate the world through sport.
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