The Hotline attempts to track all significant financial developments across the Pac-12 footprint, whether they originate with the conference office or the 12 campuses.

This one comes from a campus, and it’s significant.

Eight figures worth of significance, in fact

Washington is on the brink of a massive new apparel deal that could be a game-changer on multiple fronts, impacting not only the UW’s operating budget for years to come but also the look of one of the Pac-12’s premier brands.

Athletic director Jen Cohen declined to discuss specifics during a recent interview but said she expects to close a deal by early-to-mid May.

UW’s contract with Nike expires June 30, 2019 and pays the school approximately $3.6 million annually in cash and product.

“These deals are always about timing,” Cohen said.

Had it been decreed from on high by the Dawgfather himself, the timing couldn’t have worked out better for the Huskies.

Then again, Don James probably couldn’t have imaged the current state of the North American apparel market when he passed away five years ago.

Back then, Nike was ruler of all it surveyed, especially on its home turf in the Pacific Northwest.

Now, there’s competition from the Three Stripes — and that’s exactly what could drive the price up-up-up for the Huskies. The agreement is expected to last at least 10 years, based on current industry standards.

“The stars are aligned for them,’’ one industry source said. “They should get $10 million (annually) in their sleep.”

Nike has controlled apparel and footwear sales in the conference’s Northwest corner for decades, often using its dominance to pay less-than-market rate with the major universities in the area.

But Adidas is flush with cash, looking to spend and limited in its options.

Oregon is tied to Nike through founder Phil Knight, while Washington State and Oregon State are locked into Nike deals into the middle of the 2020s.

For Adidas, it’s the Huskies or bust.

That UW brings to the negotiations a large, affluent alumni base, a nationally regarded football program and the booming Seattle marketplace only strengthens its leverage.

“Mark King (president of Adidas group North America) has said he wants a signature school in each region,’’ said Clare Duffy, who covers the apparel beat for the Portland Business Journal.

“Washington is the chance for them to land a Power Five school in the Northwest. It seems like they would go after them pretty hard.”

Industry sources believe UW’s deal will likely land between two recent apparel agreements in the conference:

* In April ’16, Cal signed a 10-year, $86 million deal with Under Armour.

* One month later, UCLA landed a 15-year, $280 million deal with UA — the largest of its kind in intercollegiate history.

“There are only three guys in the business,” Cohen said, referring to Nike, Adidas and Under Armour. “If they aren’t all in at the same time, the numbers can be different.

“What the (UCLA) and Cal deals did, to a certain degree, was open people’s eyes that there are a lot of different ways you can go with an apparel partner.”

Under Armor might not play a central role in the Washington negotiations. Since signing the UCLA deal, its business has deteriorated, dragging the stock price down with it (from $47 per share two years ago to $16 per share today).

“Under Armor will probably be at the table (with Washington), but it would be surprising if they make a competitive bid,’’ Duffy said. “(CEO) Kevin Plank is focusing on the core business right now.”

Whether Washington strikes a favorable deal or a whopper likely will hinge on the extent to which the bid process is truly open, sources said.

If the Huskies are willing to accept the best offer on the table — if they’re willing to walk away from the Swoosh — the cash will follow. Related Articles Washington football: Spring practice preview (find some receivers, stay healthy and get ready for Auburn)

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“Jen is one of the few ADs with true guts,’’ a source said, “but she’ll be under pressure from people there who have long ties to Nike.”

Recent apparel deals are essentially split equally between product and cash. If the Huskies sign for $12 million, for example, they’re likely to receive approximately $6 million annual payments, plus a hefty signing bonus.

That would help offset the debt service on the Husky Stadium renovation.

It would strengthen the fiscal backbone supporting football (Jimmy Lake’s raise won’t be the last of its kind).

It would better position UW for needed long-haul capital projects like a basketball practice facility and training center.

“We’re really open minded,’’ Cohen said. “Nike has been an awesome partner. These are deals that only come along once every 10 years, and it’s my responsibility to find a partner we feel really good about.”

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