Oregon, Division Street partner to release 'University of Oregon' Air Max 1 for NIL

Division Street is back to turning heads in the NIL and sneaker space.

The Oregon-driven NIL collective has partnered with the University of Oregon to release the “University of Oregon” Air Max 1 on Tuesday. A unique piece of memorabilia for Ducks fans, the sneakers are expected to be available exclusively through GOAT with more details to come.

Similar to other Division Street products, proceeds from sales will go back to Oregon athletes, making the sneakers even more unique. The collective has previously dropped exclusive Air Jordan 8s, a Dunk Low and an Air Force 1 Low. Last March, the organization released player edition Air Huaraches to celebrate the first anniversary of the Flying Formations NFT launch.

Ducks of a Feather has also become Division Street’s apparel line. In a sneak peek on Instagram, the “University of Oregon” Air Max 1s are different than the typical bright orange and yellow. Instead, the sneakers are duck-inspired, featuring earth tones and an antique feel. The shoe also has an Oregon hangtag and the motto “Once a duck, always a duck” is sewn on the heel.

Pricing has not been released, but in the past Division Street has released a minimal number of sneakers. When the custom Air Huaraches dropped, only 345 pairs were released.

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Division Street creating multiple revenue streams

Along with a group of alumni, Nike co-founder Phil Knight launched Division Street in September 2021, soon after the NCAA allowed NIL. Division St. CEO Rosemary St. Clair is the former vice president of Nike Women.

Former Oregon women’s basketball star Sabrina Ionescu is also the chief athlete officer and senior advisor. Former Nike sports marketing vice president Rudy Chapa formerly sat on the collective’s board.

The collective has been creative in creating revenue streams. Nearly 70% of revenue from the initial Flying Formations NFT auction in February 2022 went to participating members of the football team. Another 10% was set aside for other Oregon athletic programs. Created in collaboration with the Oregon football team, the 120 digital art pieces were produced and serialized by Tinker Hatfield with the Duck logo used as inspiration.

Along with the actual NFT, Division Street has released apparel with Oregon athletes promoting the merchandise. Division Street has established itself as one the top collectives in the first 30 months of NIL. Along with plenty of former sports marketing talent, the organization enlists a creative company led by former Nike and Jordan brand executives.

The collective also has a relationship with Opendorse, establishing an NIL marketplace to for brands to facilitate partnerships with Oregon athletes. The customized Ducks page ultimately led to Opendorse rolling out school-specific marketplaces for a handful of clients.

All of it has also helped Oregon win on the recruiting trail. With Nike in its backyard, the Ducks have been able to sell athletes on NIL opportunities in Eugene. One of On3’s top 20 most ambitious NIL collectives this past June, part of Division Street’s success has been strong communication with Oregon football coach Dan Lanning.

“They do what they need to do,” a collective leader in the Pac-12 previously told On3 said. “They don’t need to build a social media brand around it. They don’t need to be as public-facing as a lot of us feel like we need to. They just don’t have any of those needs. They just get to operate in the shadows and take their kids to Nike. It’s almost like they’re in a different category.”