The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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TRACKING THE PACK 12 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Grace Hartman Vying For NCAA Woman Of The Year Award All-America distance runner Grace Hartman was named one of 30 contend- ers for the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year Award, which salutes athletic and academic excellence, community service and leadership. Hartman, a senior from Oakwood, Ohio, is an eight-time All-American and nine-time All-ACC performer in track and cross country. She was NC State's top finisher in all of its cross country meets last season, including a first-place finish at the ACC and NCAA Southeast Regional meets and a fifth-place effort at the NCAA Championships. A psychology major, Hartman has earned Academic All-ACC recognition seven times and was named the con- ference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in both outdoor track and cross country in 2024. "Grace has been an exceptional stu- dent and athlete during her time at NC State," head coach Laurie Henes said. "Her dedication to her sport and to serv- ing as a role model for younger female athletes is unmatched. Her drive and passion are evident in everything she does, and we are so proud of everything she has accomplished." The recipient of this year's NCAA Woman of the Year Award will be an- nounced Nov. 5. The award, which was established in 1991, will be presented at the NCAA Convention in January at Na- tional Harbor, Md. — Matt Herb NC State Extends Contract With Adidas A number of prominent universities have shuffled their apparel deals this offseason, with Georgia Tech leaving Adidas for Under Armour and a pair of longtime Nike schools — Penn State and Tennessee — inking deals with the three- stripes brand. Amid all that change, NC State has no intention of leaving its cur- rent footwear and apparel supplier. The Wolfpack extended its current deal with Adidas through June 30, 2032, according to documents obtained by The Wolfpacker. The exact dollar figures for the new deal were redacted within the contract, a common practice with col- legiate apparel agreements due to "trade secrets." NC State's exclusive relationship with Adidas dates back to 2012, when former athletics director Debbie Yow inked the initial all-sports contract between the two sides, a three-year pact worth about $8 million. The Wolfpack later signed a six-year, $38.7 million extension in 2015, and the two sides agreed to a new deal in March 2023 (backdated to July 1, 2022) that ran through June 30, 2025, with the terms redacted. Adidas has become synonymous with NC State in recent years. The company has provided several one-off uniforms for the football program, including the "City of Oaks" jersey and helmet com- bination that the team donned in its vic- tory over East Carolina to kick off the 2025 campaign. Men's and women's basketball, meanwhile, have also re- ceived special edition uniforms, includ- ing throwbacks for coach Will Wade's team, and a Play4Kay combination for Wes Moore's quad. Adidas has also forged relationships with individual NC State athletes. The company signed cross country and track star Katelyn Tuohy, a four-time NCAA champion, when she turned professional in 2023 and inked nine-time All-Amer- ica distance runner Sam Bush to a pro- fessional contract in September. In addition to professional contracts, Adidas has also inked several Wolfpack athletes to NIL deals, including men's basketball standouts DJ Burns Jr. and DJ Horne during the 2024 Final Four run, women's basketball stars Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers in the midst of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers, who signed his deal earlier this fall. NC State's new contract with Adidas earmarks money for "NIL Activities" to go with marketing activations, facility investments and promotions. Although the exact dollar amounts of the new Adidas contract were not made available, apparel deals have become in- creasingly fruitful this offseason. Penn State's 10-year agreement with Adidas is reportedly worth about $300 million, while Georgia Tech's pact with Under Armour is said to offer a nearly six-fold increase over the revenue the Yellow Jackets were receiving from their deal with Adidas. — Noah Fleischman ■ RED AND WHITE NOTEBOOK Hartman was one of 30 athletes saluted by the NCAA on Oct. 22 as candidates for the Woman of the Year Award, which recognizes athletic and academic achievement, community service and leadership. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS