KAPPA USA TO BECOME OFFICIAL UNIFORM AND FOOTWEAR SUPPLIER TO COLORADO RAPIDS OF MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

DENVER (Monday, August 31, 1998) - Major League Soccer and Kappa USA have reached a marketing agreement making Kappa an "Official Sponsor" and the "Official Uniform and Footwear Supplier" of the Colorado Rapids.

The four-year deal, which begins in 1999, also makes Kappa an "Official Supplier" to Major League Soccer. The Rapids will be the first and only team in MLS to be outfitted by Kappa.

With the new deal, the Rapids will unveil new uniforms for the 1999 season. The new design will be unveiled sometime after the end of the 1998 season, which ends on October 25 with MLS Cup '98 in Pasadena.

With the designation, Kappa will get elements including signage at Mile High Stadium, exposure on the Colorado Rapids television broadcasts, and involvement in local promotions.

Sterling, Virginia-based Kappa USA is a subsidiary of the Turin, Italy-based Basic Group. The Kappa brand currently outfits several world-class soccer clubs around the world, the most famous of which is legendary Italian club Juventus of Turin of the Italian Serie A. Kappa also had the eyes of the world this summer when it outfitted the Jamaican and South African sides in the 1998 World Cup in France.

Rapids general manager Dan Counce said that being the only MLS club with Kappa, known for its eye-catching designs, will produce a distinct design that will create attractive product to drive retail sales, while at the same time producing a solid on-field look.

"The range of designs that Kappa is involved in from the flashy looks of Jamaica and South Africa to the well-known look of Juventus shows their versatility and has us very up beat about what should be an exciting new look for the Rapids in 1999 and beyond," Counce said.

Click Here to Return to COLORADO RAPIDS News Releases Home Page

Click Here to Return to COLORADO RAPIDS HOME PAGE