SPALDING VOLLEYBALL SETS SIGHTS ON CATEGORY DOMINANCE
-- Expanded Marketing/Grassroots Efforts Synergize with "King of the Beach" Product Line
Re-introduction of Indoor Product Line to Capture Club Team Growth --

ORLANDO, FL (January 17, 2005)
Spalding, a brand with a long history in outdoor beach volleyball, now has a renewed emphasis at the beach headlined by a premier King of the Beach volleyball product lineup, key licensing affiliations and targeted grassroots event sponsorships.

Spalding in expanding the base of core volleyball enthusiasts in the outdoor market is also setting its sights with a greater indoor presence - at clubs, high schools, intercollegiate and indoor recreational leagues.

Spalding's exclusive license to the "King of the Beach" mark will be prevalent in 2005 marketing efforts, including print advertising, event sponsorships and on websites of leading outdoor beach programs. Spalding's indoor product category will focus on reaching to the club team programs with a new sales and marketing effort.

"Spalding has always been recognized for its innovative, high-quality volleyball products but now it's time to build upon that and tap into the resurgence in the beach and surfing lifestyle. By developing a new line of competitive beach play products, distributing them within the specialty and sporting goods retail and focusing on sponsorships and grassroots marketing we are poised for category growth," stated Billy Berger volleyball category director for Spalding. "Spalding is reaching out to the vast majority of outdoor volleyball participants through relevant marketing efforts highlighted by its participation within the "King of the Beach" events."

Spalding, a division of Russell Corporation (NYSE: RML), has developed a four SKU Spalding King of the Beach (KOB) product line in 2005 that will convey Spalding's commitment to the game and ensure category leadership.

All Spalding King of the Beach products will be available to ship February 2005. The 2005 lineup includes:

• Spalding KOB Gold (Game Ball) is a re-introduction of the original leather volleyball that was first launched in California 30 years ago. This professional level, tournament-quality play volleyball is made with the highest quality top grain leather. According to Berger it "undeniably has the highest quality and is best volleyball in the marketplace." Designed for tournament beach play, it is hand stitched with a raised seam construction. It has a suggested retail price of $69.99.


• Spalding KOB All-weather is another re-introduced product that was first launched in 1995. Constructed from Cordley all weather composite leather and machine stitched, it is designed for playing in incremental weather and humid conditions. Designed for variations in play requirements from competitive beach to recreational backyard play, it has a traditional 18 panel design and a suggested retail price of $39.99


• Spalding KOB Competitive Outdoor (Recreational) has a competitive composite leather construction and is machine stitched. It has a suggested retail price of $19.99.


• Spalding KOB Outdoor has foam-backed, cushioned outdoor composite leather and is machine stitched. It has a suggested retail price of $14.99.

Spalding's outdoor presence includes marketing initiatives with the King of the Beach Festivals, regional grassroots events such as Bud Light Florida, the California Beach league, and a national instruction program, among others. In addition, Spalding will serve as the Official ball of "Indoor Sand League Championships."

Within the indoor market, Spalding is the official ball of the NCAA Volleyball championships and has a host of institutional adoptions and premier college coaches endorsing their brand. Spalding is also an official sponsor of the Volleyball Hall of Fame. In 2005, Spalding will expand its presence as the official ball of club team tournaments, select regional club team programs as well indoor league recreational programs within sports and social clubs.

ABOUT SPALDING

Springfield, MA-based Spalding is a leading producer and marketer of basketballs, footballs, volleyballs and soccer balls under the Spalding brand name and softballs under the Dudley brand. Spalding is the official basketball supplier of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the official volleyball of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and American Volleyball Association (AVA), the official soccer ball of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and the official football of the American Football League (AFL) and Pop Warner. Spalding was acquired by Russell Corporation in May 2003. Spalding and Russell's other business units, American Athletic (AAI) and Huffy Sports brands, collectively combined, are now part of the largest basketball equipment provider in the country. AAI is the leading seller of gymnastics equipment in the country as well as institutional basketball backboards, and Huffy Sports, is a leader in basketball backboard systems.