INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The NFHS today announced Certor Sports, parent company of the Schutt and VICIS football helmet brands, as its newest Official Corporate Champion — the organization’s highest level of corporate partnership. This partnership reflects a shared and unwavering commitment to advancing education-based athletics, elevating risk minimization standards and protecting student-athletes nationwide.
Certor Sports is a global leader in protective athletic equipment and sporting goods and the parent company of several industry-leading brands, including Schutt Sports, VICIS and TUCCI. Collectively, these brands serve football and baseball athletes with a relentless focus on innovation, performance and – above all – player protection.
“Certor Sports is setting the standard for athlete protection, particularly when it comes to minimizing risk for high school football players with their Schutt and VICIS brands,” NFHS CEO Dr. Karissa Niehoff said. “We are proud and excited to partner with a company that is truly leading the way in this critical area. Certor’s commitment to research-driven innovation and student-athlete well-being makes them an ideal Official Corporate Champion for the NFHS.”
Jeremy Erspamer, Chief Executive Officer of Certor Sports, echoed that enthusiasm for the partnership.
“We are honored to partner with the NFHS and proud to support its longstanding mission of protecting and empowering student-athletes,” Erspamer said. “At Certor, player safety and protection are at the core of everything we do, and we are excited to join forces with the NFHS to continue raising the bar for high school athletes nationwide. We look forward to working closely with the NFHS team through a shared vision to bring the best equipment and safety education to high school athletes throughout the country.”
The Official Corporate Champion designation represents the NFHS’s premier partnership category and underscores a powerful alignment between two organizations dedicated to leadership, education and safety. Through this partnership, Certor Sports will collaborate with the NFHS on initiatives designed to equip coaches, administrators, officials and student-athletes across the NFHS membership with resources that advance safety, awareness and performance.
About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 18 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches nearly 20,000 high schools and 12 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 8.2 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; offers online education courses for coaches, administrators, students, officials, performing arts educators, parents and others; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.
About Certor Sports
Certor Sports specializes in manufacturing products under the VICIS, Schutt, and TUCCI brands. As a premier provider of athletic protective gear and high-performance apparel, Certor Sports is committed to safeguarding athletes with cutting-edge solutions. With a strong emphasis on protection and performance, Certor Sports has established itself as a trusted leader in athletic protection. To learn more about Certor Sports, visit certorsports.com .
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SOURCE National Federation of State High School Associations
