Well, the times they have a-changed.
As it turns out, Smitty's has a 3-year deal to provide two shirts, pants, a cap, and a lightweight jacket each year to all FBS conference officials. So, that is the trade-off FBS guys get, in exchange for having the big "S" on their right chest area. That's the "deal."
Each conference is free to strike their own shoe deal. One (maybe more) is aligned with Nike. One (maybe more) is aligned with Under Armor.
I remember getting free shoes from Adidas and Reebok, along with an assortment of hats, gloves, undershirts, equipment bags, etc. But never shirts and/or pants. Sweet. Except for the "S," I suppose.
Robert