The story of Nike begins with the story of Blue Ribbon Sports back in 1964. Around that time, Phil Knight had just gone through University of Oregon followed by a stint at Stanford for his MBA, leaving him with two crucial experiences that set the trajectory of his future.

At University of Oregon, he ran for the school's track and field team, putting him into contact with their coach, Bill Bowerman. Aside from an intensely competitive ethos, Bowerman displayed a fascination with optimizing his runners' shoes, constantly tinkering with different models after learning from a local cobbler.

As part of its commitment to expand access to sport for the next generation of athletes, NIKE, Inc. is partnering with NFL clubs to increase opportunities for Native American and Indigenous youth to become involved in football.