Seattle Pacific University’s athletics department announced on Friday, Oct. 4, the grand opening of the online Falcon Team Store, an all-sports deal with Nike and BSN Sports.

Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Christian Bond helped launch the new online merchandise store, which offers a variety of brands for SPU students and fans to choose from.

“The team store is run through our apparel partner in BSN sports. We’re excited to open it up and have it available for fans and supporters to pick from a wide variety of whatever they want,” Bond said. “There are options to shop by sport or by design, so any fan, any parent or any supporter of any program can go on there and find the sport they want to represent and pick something up with our logos and colors.”

Through its contract with BSN Sports, SPU can provide Falcon-branded merchandise from a variety of brands, such as Carhartt, Nike, Adidas, Hurley and much more.

“Our new agreement with BSN sports puts every team in Nike apparel,” Bond said. “[Customers] could shop by the different brands on there, but as far as the gear you’ll see coaches, players or staff in, they’ll be in Nike.”

Hank Copeland, a junior clinical psychology major, expressed enthusiasm for the new athletics merch store making merch more accessible, as students often struggle to find SPU gear.

“I think it’s really going to expand the fan base. A lot of SPU students just don’t know where they can get access to merch. It’s [good to] have a localized place to get stuff, so I’m sure it’ll be good all around for the culture,” Copeland said.

Copeland also hopes the athletic department will employ broader advertisement of the store, suggesting that more promotional efforts could increase awareness and engagement.

“Not everyone goes to Royal Brougham, so I think spreading out [to] get more eyes on it couldn’t hurt,” Copeland said.

Junior exercise science major Brittan Dahlberg, an SPU women’s rowing team member, believes the store could enhance the connection between athletics and the student body.

“It’s a cool opportunity for students to wear the athletic logo, and it’s awesome for parents and other fans to get in on more athletics-branded things. I think it’s a great opportunity to get athletics out into the rest of the student body,” Dahlberg said. “We’re definitely in the working process of getting more students at events, so it’d be really cool if this did bridge the gap.”

The website is currently having a 20% off grand opening sale on everything from hats to backpacks to sweaters and hoodies. Customers can access the discount using the code SPIRIT20 through the end of October.

“There is a link to the team store on each team’s website homepage on SPUFalcons.com,” Bond said. “We have flyers with QR codes to the store posted around Royal Brougham Pavilion and Interbay Soccer Stadium. There have been posts made on the teams’ social media accounts about the grand opening. They will continue to occasionally be made.”