The direct competitor provision left the men’s program with options that included Wilson, Spalding and The Rock, among others. The decision was a no-brainer, according to UW officials.

“It’s the ball that they use in the NCAA tournament,” Doherty said of Wilson. “If you had to kind of boil it down to a reason to why we’re using that one, obviously that’s it.”

The three-year deal with Wilson is so straightforward the contract is just over a page long. The company provides UW with 36 “Wilson NCAA Game Basketballs, which include embossment stamping logos at no additional cost.” UW, in return, must grant Wilson the title sponsor at one mutually agreed upon event.

While Gard — and Ryan before him — had a personal deal with Sterling, he doesn’t have one with Wilson.

“Wilson’s always had a really good reputation, hence why it’s used in the NCAA tournament and that whole run,” Gard said. “It was the right time and made everything logically added up to do that.”

What isn’t so logical is the NCAA doesn’t require a specific brand of basketball be used by all teams. Section 16 of the men’s basketball rulebook is centered entirely on requirements for the ball, but its 10 articles focus on ensuring a certain level of consistency.