AFL and Russell Renew Partnership

The Arena Football League and Russell Brands, LLC have renewed their partnership for the next three seasons, the League office announced today.
The partnership designates Russell Athletic as the official uniform and on-field apparel supplier of the AFL and Spalding as the official game ball supplier of the League. The game ball is specifically designed with the AFL’s signature stripe for higher visibility in the passing game, and the League and Spalding encourage fans to keep those footballs that enter the stands during game play. Russell Athletic will also serve as the exclusive supplier of conference and ArenaBowl championship hats and t-shirts as well as the official apparel provider of the AFL online store.
“This has been a tremendous partnership for many years,” AFL Commissioner Jerry B. Kurz said. “The innovation and commitment to excellence demonstrated by Russell Athletic and Spalding makes them a natural fit for the AFL and we are thrilled to continue this partnership for another three years.”
“We’re excited to continue our partnership with the Arena Football League,” said Gary Barfield, executive vice president, Russell Brands, LLC. “The fast-paced action and intense competition in the AFL is a great platform to showcase the dynamic design and high quality of both our Russell Athletic and Spalding products.”
To commemorate the League’s Silver Anniversary season in 2012, Spalding game balls featured silver stripes and laces, as well as the 25th Anniversary logo on the top front panel of the ball. Spalding will use a new design to celebrate the 2013 AFL season.