According to the Adidas Lacrosse Facebook page, the University of Notre Dame men's lacrosse team will begin using Adidas protective gear beginning with the upcoming 2011 season. You may recall that I predicted this move when the company launched its 2011 equipment line. An example of the new 111 gloves can be seen on the right; this picture came directly from the company's Facebook page. All in all, it is a very attractive glove and can be customized.This makes Notre Dame the first NCAA Division 1 lacrosse team to sport Adidas' protective equipment on the field. The team has already been wearing Adidas uniforms as part of the school-wide contract with the company. No word has been given about which sticks the team will be using. Although it's possible that they may continue with Brine, my gut tells me that the Irish will be using some combination of Adidas and Reebok sticks in 2011. Reebok is a subsidiary of Adidas.
So far nothing has been said about the team's helmets. The Irish currently use Riddell, but many are hopeful that they will switch to Cascade.
This is a good move for Adidas in light of Notre Dame's success in the 2010 season. An overtime loss in the Championship definitely propelled the Irish (and the sport) onto the national scene. What better way to officially launch a much improved line of equipment?
9/20/2010 Update: Notre Dame will also use Adidas sticks and heads. I am trying to get confirmation of which specific models will be available. I was told, "They will use Adidas for everything but their helmets." Whether or not that includes gear from subsidiary Reebok remains to be seen.
