Tennessee made things official on Wednesday afternoon, announcing a new massive apparel deal with adidas. The brand will replace Nike starting in August 2026, starting a new contract that will run through 2036. Tennessee was previously with adidas from 1994 through 2014.
Nike had a chance to match the deal but declined following a reportedly massive offer from adidas. Tennessee now becomes a legitimate priority for adidas, inking a deal that includes NIL deals for athletes and national marketing campaigns
featuring Tennessee players.
“Our mission is to build the premier athletics department in the country and to lead the way in college sports. Partnering with adidas is an ideal fit, as their mission is to be the best sports brand in the world,” said University of Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White. “There is no denying the resurgence of Tennessee Athletics, powered by the greatest fan base in all of sports. Our strong licensing numbers, impressive television ratings, and sold-out venues all reflect this. adidas recognized our potential and responded with one of the best apparel deals in the history of college sports, prioritizing Vol Nation and the Tennessee brand.”
“This partnership provides us with a significant advantage in the ever-evolving landscape of college sports. We take pride in our fan base and the competitive edge they offer us. We refuse to partner with someone who does not feel the same way.”
Did you catch that subtle little parting shot there at Nike? Tennessee will continue to design all uniforms in house, as they have in recent years.
Uniforms aside, this deal centers around NIL opportunities. Once again, Tennessee will be leading the charge into a new era of college athletics, leveraging an apparel contract to maximize NIL opportunities for student-athletes.
“This marks an important moment for our organization as we reestablish our partnership with the University of Tennessee, who shares our commitment to providing student athletes and fans with best-in-class product and opportunities that not only elevate college athletics, but redefine the future of college sports,” said John Miller, adidas President, North America.
Tennessee could be the first of many deals like this for adidas, as Matt Brown points out.
Tennessee fans were left with a bad taste in their mouth with adidas back in 2013 as the brand went off the rails a bit with their uniform designs. The weird jersey templates and fonts, the just plain bad first version of the ‘smokey grey’ look — this time it will be handled in house. Adidas has produced some questionable looks in recent years still, but they’ve also done well on the football side with schools like Miami and Texas A&M.
If they can keep it simple and just get Tennessee back to a traditional 2000s era look, things will be just fine. With things happening in house, it seems like that’s going to be the plan.
