Adidas Countersues Louisville Basketball Recruit’s Father

Adidas filed a counter-lawsuit against former five-star recruit Brian Bowen II’s father, a former grassroots consultant and a financial advisor. The suit charges the three worked with Adidas employees to funnel money to the families of high school basketball prospects while evading detection by others in the company.

DSW-Parent Provides Financial Liquidity Update

Designer Brands Inc., the parent of DSW, announced the amendment of its $400 million revolving line of credit.  This amendment, coupled with support received from vendor partners and landlords, helps to fortify the company’s near-term liquidity as it addresses the continuing impacts of COVID-19 and begins to reopen stores in select geographies.

Columbia Sportswear Posts Q1 Operating Loss, Sales Slide 13 Percent

Columbia Sportswear Company reported an operating loss of $2 million in the first quarter as sales fell 13 percent. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Tim Boyle said, “It is important to note that we entered into this crisis in a position of strength, with a fortress balance sheet and top quartile operating margin performance in our industry in 2019. As consumers look to make every dollar they spend count within this challenging economic environment, we believe the Columbia brand’s differentiated innovation and exceptional value are as important as ever.”

Golf Rounds Played Slide In March

Golf rounds played for March 2020 fell 8.5 percent nationally compared to a year ago, according to Golf Datatech. Double-digit increases in the New England, East North Central and Mid Atlantic regions were offset by a steep decline in the Pacific region and smaller declines in the South Central and South Atlantic.

NCAA Outlines Plan To Let Athletes Make Endorsement Deals

The NCAA’s Board of Governors announced that it had approved recommendations under which student-athletes could receive income for third-party endorsements, as well as social media opportunities, other business ventures and personal appearances that fall within certain guidelines.

Wolverine World Wide’s Debt Ratings Lowered

S&P Global Ratings lowered the debt ratings of Wolverine World Wide Inc. because it expects the footwear company’s revenue and profitability will be significantly impaired by lower consumer demand in the U.S. and retail store closures related to measures taken to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Soccer Parents See Soccer Returning This Summer

A survey of youth soccer parents from Soccer.com, the nation’s leading soccer-specialty retailer, finds 81 percent expect youth soccer to resume in their area by August 2020. Of those, 61 percent believe youth soccer will resume in their area by July 2020.

NPD: Leisure Footwear Sales Slump 15 Percent In First Quarter

U.S. sales of leisure footwear, which includes many of the industry’s athletic-lifestyle and outdoor categories, were down 15 percent in the first quarter, according to the NPD Group. Fashion footwear tumbled 24 percent and the smaller sport-specific performance footwear category declined 19 percent.