Ep. 5: Senior VP Todd Taylor on Hickory

An authentic George Hill Hickory jersey.

The Indiana Pacers unveiled their NBA “Pride” uniform this fall, one that uniquely connects with the community. (Best of all, it’s not a sleeved jersey like most of the “Pride” uniforms around the league.) Several team execs gathered in a room nearly two years ago to brainstorm, and they came to an agreement on Hickory uniforms from the movie “Hoosiers.”

When doing their research, they found out that next year — 2016 — will be the 30th anniversary since the movie was released.

Perfect, right?

On Friday (Nov. 6), the Pacers will wear their Hickory uniforms for the first time against the Miami Heat. It is also their first nationally televised game (ESPN) of the season.

The organization and MGM Studios came to a five-year licensing agreement and this season, the team will wear the uniforms in ten games, six at home. And, at those six home games, the team will celebrate and honor teams or individuals in this state that made a substantial impact.

In addition, Bankers Life Fieldhouse will be dressed up for all six Hickory home games, the Pacemates have old-school uniforms, Boomer will have a new look, and more.

Todd Taylor leads Pacers Sports & Entertainment’s sales and marketing efforts.

The Pacers gift shop has dozens of items for sale, including jerseys, t-shirts, hoodies, and novelty items. Pre-ordered jerseys were mailed out this week and will be available for sale in the gift shop Friday. Orders have been received from 41 states and seven countries.

One of the guys in that room a few years back was Pacers exec Todd Taylor, who joined the team in June 2011 after previous stints with two Major League Baseball teams. Taylor, the Senior VP and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, is my guest on this week’s podcast — one that I’m really excited about.

I hope that you enjoy it.

Topics Discussed:

• How the team chose Hickory uniforms
• What goes into getting a new uniform approved
• What fans can expect at home games
• Merchandise sales of Hickory gear
• When the team might get new uniforms