A conversation with the founder and owner of Custom Athletics - Riley Evan. We find the intersection of passion and need. From a dorm in BYU to the islands of Fiji - this is the story of Custom Athletics.

In researching Custom Athletics prior to my conversation with their founder - Riley Evans -, two things became clear - this company does not stay in a box, nor does it sit still. Their designs are not…normal. Each one evokes color and a design unique to them. “We don’t use templates. Each kit comes from my own hand - we don’t use templates”.

While the company’s site lists templates, they are merely a launching pad rather than a final product. “We have a hundred different templates on our website. If you don't know what you're looking for, I'll send you that link and you can look through and be like, ‘I like this one’. But let's change the colors and combine, maybe combine this other one just like to help with inspiration”. Trying to keep things unique to the club and fit the established vibe is at the company’s foundation.

As someone who has had a love of designing uniforms from a young age, keeping things unique started early, “Madden in two thousand six or something, they had to create a team feature and I would spend hours designing jerseys for football teams”. That love, effort, and unsatisfiable appetite to be better can be tied back to this company’s founding. While at Birmingham Young University in Provo, Utah - Riley was playing on a campus recreation soccer team. He wasn’t satisfied with the kits/uniforms his team were wearing. Evan has always been one who wants to look good playing soccer, “I've had this love of soccer jerseys. As much as I love soccer, I love jerseys even more”.

So, utilizing his entrepreneurial spirit - he made his own. Majoring in Global Supply Chain - Evans found this to be the most opportune time to take a chance. “I advise every student who has an idea, to start their own business while in college. You have a support system all around you, all the time. It’s the perfect time”. Further adding to the benefits of starting while in College, Riley couldn’t help but give praise to the staff there at BYU - “Shout out Ralph Little. He doesn't teach anymore, but he had one of my entrepreneurship classes about minimizing risk and things like that. And he was just one of my great mentors.” Further elaborating that, “it was an awesome opportunity when I was in school and I didn't have to worry about quitting my job to start a business where I could start Custom Athletics kind of behind the scenes while I was studying”.

Riley remembered one interaction post match in particular. “One of the other team captains approached us after the game and said, ‘Hey, cool jerseys, where'd you get them?’ And I'm like, ‘Well, I actually made them’”.The kits were a success, and with that success Custom Athletics was born.

Now moving from outfitting BYU’s intramural soccer teams to semi-pro outfits was a new challenge. After sending many DM’s, joining all the soccer kit swap or rec pickup league pages on Facebook, one man responded to Riley. “I got a hold of one guy named Alex Caposella in Connecticut. It was going to be one of my friends for life. And he took a chance on me as my first real client, CT Roma, the awesome grassroots club with awesome jerseys”.

Without Alex’s chance on Custom Athletics Riley may have ended the dream early on. “Helping CT Roma was the reason why I took a chance on Custom Athletics. I realized not only do people want these awesome jerseys, but there are people that are willing to pay for them, I can grow this brand and grow my vision”. That vision has led him to serving semi-pro outfits across 38 states and 6 countries, including the Wisconsin Primary Amateur Soccer League.

Those beginnings at BYU echo Riley’s strong commitment to “turning your vision into a custom kit that stands out” and eventually into the WPASL. There we see some of the most unique kits you will see across the US. From the Northern Lights and Forests of Namekagon Kits to Paul Bunyon on Union Des Bateaux. Those Namekagon kits, “opened up Pandora's box for me with the possibilities of what we can do with these jerseys”, adding that “I have a hard time explaining the design process for these jerseys because it is so crazy”.

Talking about the Paul Bunyan Kit Riley holds this kit in high regards,”I'm glad you brought that one up”. “That was one of my favorites we've ever done. We worked with local artists on that one too. Luke, he did an amazing job with that design. I have one of those in my closet. I wear it at least once every other week.” Last season’s Paul Bunyan barely missed it onto Protagonist’s Top Kits of 2025. “Every single design I do is in the hopes that we'll make that ranking”. Sorry Riley, I didn’t spread enough Paul Bunyan propaganda in 2025 (it was one of my personal favorites and voted it #9).

Working with the clubs to bring that identity to life has always been the goal. For Namekagon (I failed to say this properly at least 3 times in the interview), it was about highlighting the beauty of Wisconsin’s forests. Where the Home Kit embraces the day time - focusing in on the river, the sun (cleverly using the crest here), and the forest that comes to life. “It's so unique that it's just hard to put into words what went into it. I will say the river, it almost reminds me of a pastel painting sky with the sun with a forest underneath”.

It’s warm, bright and far from subtle. “My style is vibrant and crazy and loud and obnoxious. Clients don’t always want that”. Partnering with the daytime kit, we get the Northern Lights kit. Contrasting the bright and warmth of the home, we get an array of colors brightly illuminating the night sky on a darker Blue base.

When prodded as to why the WPASL (as they outfit multiple clubs), Riley replied, “Why not? If you are a soccer player and live in Wisconsin, you've got to either start a club or join a club there. This league is incredible”.

Now once this company established itself as a creative outlet for amateur teams across the country, it was time to “Take a chance” on one of Riley’s favorite places - The Fiji Islands. Rooted from his father’s time doing ministry work on the island, this place has always held a special place in his heart. The story starts in December of 2023, “The CEO, Mr. Youssef, he connected me [after sending emails to all OFC nations] with Nizaya Ali Krishna and said, ‘Work with Riley’. And that was it. So I got a WhatsApp call with Nizaya and here we are.” Adding that, “It just meant the world to me that a national team said, we'll entertain this”, instead of ghosting.

But the story doesn’t start with Fiji - no that fizzled out for about 2 years. The relentless Riley wouldn’t stop. “So while I was in this hotel working, I was following up again with all these OFC countries about their national team. And, when we got home I met a good friend named Mike Kelly Lomu, who's a member of the Tonga national team. He's a dual national. He lives in Utah and he went viral. He posted a story on Instagram, how he sold his business in Texas, sold his house and they were moving to Tonga. So he could go play for the national team in World Cup qualifiers. So, I sent him a DM”. Kelly would respond with “this is crazy. Let me go into the office. About an hour later he said ‘Tonga Football Association says yes’, let's do it”. From there it went “it went crazy fast”, from the signing of the contract to being at a World Cup qualifier for Tonga vs Fiji Islands.

This partnership with Tonga was the first of its kind - “we are the very first sponsor in Tonga football history”. Not only did Custom Athletics expand into new territory - so did Tonga FA. Keeping in tune with Custom’s ethos of keeping it unique to the team, they opted to using a local artist. “Their designs are drawn by Talihoma. He draws traditional Tongan tattoos”. The Salt Lake City based tattoo artist donated his designs to the Tonga FA for the kits. You can check out these fun Tonga Kits here. These kits have been sold in over 70 countries around the world. With the credibility acquired from Tonga, Fiji came calling.

When asked what was his favorite kit - it was that classic Nigeria kit from 2018. The one that broke the kit world. The 2025 Tonga kit was the first to beat that classic Nigeria Kit. Then, was this season’s Home kit for Fiji becoming my favorite. “It is absolutely my favorite design. With the tribal designs all over the kit - it was special to put this together”. As a fan of White kits with subtle details/design AND a collar. I can’t disagree. Plus Fiji’s training top is so tropical, maybe my favorite for the island nation. Nizaya once again was tabbed to help out with these designs. “Naziah drew the patterns for the jerseys and her husband, Roy, is Fiji's all-time leading goal scorer. So it was really cool to partner with them once again”.

“It's so awesome to partner with these amazing pacific nations and their trust in Custom Athletics that has given us a lot of credibility as a brand”.

Instead of getting boring and template from a larger company, Custom Athletics have been able to bring the island nation’s identity to the pitch. With a portion of every kit sale going to the Fiji or Tonga Football Association - helping them fund shin guards, cleats, balls and other equipment.

This rise from a Dorm Room at BYU to international teams across Oceania, we see the energy and hard work put into every kit. During the interview, the passion was undeniably there. From every sentence, story, and design - you can’t help but become a Fiji or Tanga fan mid-interview. Before we wrapped up, he had to make sure his wife got a shoutout - “I have an awesome wife who supported me throughout all of it and she has always encouraged me to go for it. And now she's getting her PhD. So she's the real academic in the family. She's been the driving force to the success of custom athletics and her support has just been unbelievable”.

As 2026 hits its midway point, I urge any and all to keep an eye out on this up and coming company. I got a feeling we’ll be seeing some of their best work in the coming year.

Be sure to check out Custom Athletics Website and Instagram.

- by Brett Mullenix