As John Kanaras tells the story, if you understand lacrosse, you’ve in all probability seen the “Air Gait” play.
Within the 1988 NCAA event semifinals, Penn traveled to Syracuse for the Last 4 bout. Midfielder Gary Gait scored twice that day, standing behind the online and leaping – nearly like a basketball participant for a dunk – exterior the crease whereas tilting his stick and placing it previous the goalie.
Gait and Syracuse gained 11-10 that day, finally successful the nationwide title. Kanaras was the goalkeeper for the Quakers. The NCAA would later ban the transfer that Gait used.
Almost 35 years later, Kanaras nonetheless tells the Gait story. However now, it’s not his go-to story. As a substitute it’s the launching level for his ardour mission or as he likes to joke, his “mid-life disaster.” As soon as the 1988 season wrapped up, Penn gifted the whole group watches to have fun the historic marketing campaign. However it by no means lived as much as what the 1988 season meant to him.
That feeling has led him to create AXIA Time, which is the formally licensed watch firm of the School Soccer Playoff. The model not too long ago launched a partnership with Georgia’s Traditional Metropolis NIL collective, too.
“The college gave us this watch that basically doesn’t align with the reminiscences,” Kanaras. “The fashion just isn’t so nice. The design just isn’t so nice. And it at all times created this rigidity for me, like I really like what it commemorates and what it signifies. I nonetheless have it, however I by no means put on it as a result of it’s like this crappy watch.”
He’s now attempting to flip that script, delivering a smooth fashion that customers will need to put on. A product of Greek immigrants, AXIA means worth or price, a nod to his Hellenic roots. Whereas Kanaras’ facet mission has rapidly grown, it began with the watch from his school days. His first mission was a timepiece recognizing Penn lacrosse’s a centesimal anniversary. Quickly after, he began licensing out the marks for different Ivy League establishments.
What finally gave him his break was creating and designing the watches for Virginia lacrosse when this system gained the 2019 nationwide championship. Swiss manufactured, Kanaras handgraves the again of every watch and packing containers every cargo. His firm’s brand just isn’t too flashy – a easy arrow is a nod to AXIA.
“After the [Virginia] watch got here in, I used to be within the Collegiate Licensing Firm headquarters in Atlanta, the place I used to be there for my day job,” he stated. “My day job is vaccines, I’m the U.S. normal supervisor of a European-based vaccine firm. So I used to be in Atlanta and I popped into CLC [Collegiate Licensing Company] to indicate them what I did for UVA. They usually’re like, ‘Nobody’s doing this within the school sports activities base.’”
Kanaras quickly was put in contact with the Soccer Bowl Affiliation and launched to the CFP, finally signing on as the one watch firm licensing the playoff. His enterprise has continued to develop, creating watches for LSU and Georgia’s nationwide titles. AXIA has added the title of formally licensed watch of the Rose Bowl and Naismith Award, too.
AXIA increasing into NIL
Kanaras and the Georgia-focused NIL operation Traditional Metropolis Collective started conversations a couple of partnership in early 2023. With a product made for school sports activities, it was a no brainer for a partnership. Working with govt director Matt Hibbs, AXIA donated just a few watches for a charity occasion. Georgia head coach Kirby Sensible signed the packing containers the timepieces have been in; the ladies’s watch offered for $3,000 whereas the lads’s offered for upwards of $6,000.
That was the beginning of the connection between Kanaras’ model and Traditional Metropolis.
“That was proof of idea sufficient for us to say, ‘Let’s give this a strive for the upcoming season,’” the AXIA founder stated. “We’ve received a sure association the place we’ve created these restricted version launches with a Kirby Sensible signature. We’ve got 5 of the athletes who’re additionally a part of this promotional effort, and they’re model ambassadors for AXIA, not particularly for the Georgia watches.”
AXIA plans to proceed to spend advertising {dollars} within the school sports activities area, teaming up with athletes to market the watches. Kanaras added he’s trying to group up with athletes to market watches to commemorate significant occasions like championships and large awards, just like the Tewaaraton and Naismith Awards.
Georgia’s Tate Ratledge, Ladd McConkey, Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Warren Brinson and Sedrick Van Pran have all appeared on social media selling the corporate.
It’s additionally one other stream of income for Traditional Metropolis Collective. Because the NIL business continues to mature and develop, now in its third yr, collectives are searching for inventive income streams. Some have launched alcohol traces or branded golf balls.
AXIA Time watches could possibly be the subsequent step.
“You’ll be able to’t simply depend on donors and knock on the identical doorways asking for donations,” Traditional Metropolis’s VP of Strategic Engagement Patrick Jacobs stated. “Totally different income streams are crucial. If individuals don’t need to merely give simply to offer, we try to provide totally different ways in which followers may give and get one thing in return. The watch is a superb instance. Totally different income streams to the place it’s not that we’re going after the people who aren’t prepared to easily give and assist out and contribute.
“Now you may get one thing cool and distinctive whereas supporting Georgia’s NIL.”
On3 Elite assisted within the story, amplifying AXIA’s entry into the NIL area.
