Uniform/Helmet/Shoe design thread (merged)

[WVU05UT09]

Vols’ deal being in the $5-5.5 million per year range in terms of total value..
Lol no wonder they are considering the change.. What the heck?

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Some recent deals that schools reportedly worked out with Adidas:

• Texas A&M, 5 years, $47 million
• Louisville, 10 years, $160 million
• Nebraska, 11 years, $128 million
• Washington, 10 years, $119 million
• Miami, 12 years, $93.6 million

And Nike?
Nike is paying Ohio State $252 million over 15 years, which comes out to $16.8 million per year.
They’re paying Texas close to the same amount as Ohio State, whereas Oregon is getting about $8 million per year.
Understandably, Ohio State and Texas are bigger brands than Tennessee.
But with the Vols’ deal being in the $5-5.5 million per year range in terms of total value, one might say Tennessee was getting ripped off.
It is expected that a decision between UT and Adidas could be made in the next 45 days, which would give the parties roughly a year to work on product development.
Whether folks like it or not, in the days of NIL, the best deal wins.

They have to overpay because no one in a 1 for 1 comparison picks them over Nike.

At one point they made it rain on Michigan. Michigan dumped em in part because recruits hated their ****.

 

[DeerPark12]

DP a few questions if I may.

1. Will uniforms for 2026 season be ordered through Adidas this year or not until the contract expires which would push the first game in Adidas to 2027?

2. Who owns the rights to the dark mode branding and uniform design?

3. Will new uniform designs be released at the time of ordering or not likely until the season they begin wearing them?

4. You talked about this when Tennessee left Adidas for Nike, but do you think Tennessee will be one of Adidas’ top priorities?

1. The new contract will begin on July 1, 2026, regardless of who it is with. Like when we moved to Nike, if there is a change, people at Tennessee will work with Adidas on a transition, but nothing will be available until the Nike contract expires on June 30 of that year.

2. Nobody “owns” anything like that. Dark mode is just a marketing gimmick that Tennessee came up with to describe its black uniforms. I would assume we would still have black as an option under Adidas, and it would be designed by a combination of Adidas and Tennessee’s in-house team that has been designing most of the on field uniforms the last few years.

3. I assume Tennessee would do a big unveiling after that July 1 date, like they did for Nike, but I really don’t know. I don’t have super close contacts in the video production department at UT anymore, but I would have to assume they would do something big again.

4. If what I was told is accurate, the deal that Adidas has offered would be the largest contract they have, and the second largest apparel deal for any school behind Notre Dame‘s current deal with under Armour.

 

[DeerPark12]

One school playing stupid games.

The Black History Month jerseys were across the brand lineup from Indiana and Kansas to Texas A&M. Hideous.

Do we need pics of the cheap $hit Louisville looking football kits?

Schools can design their own uniforms with both companies, and they have the right to say no to any alternates that are designed. Tennessee did it to Adidas on multiple occasions, Tennessee has done it to Nike as well. If a school shows up wearing clown uniforms, that’s on them, not the company that manufactures them.

 

[WVU05UT09]

1. The new contract will begin on July 1, 2026, regardless of who it is with. Like when we moved to Nike, if there is a change, people at Tennessee will work with Adidas on a transition, but nothing will be available until the Nike contract expires on June 30 of that year.

2. Nobody “owns” anything like that. Dark mode is just a marketing gimmick that Tennessee came up with to describe its black uniforms. I would assume we would still have black as an option under Adidas, and it would be designed by a combination of Adidas and Tennessee’s in-house team that has been designing most of the on field uniforms the last few years.

3. I assume Tennessee would do a big unveiling after that July 1 date, like they did for Nike, but I really don’t know. I don’t have super close contacts in the video production department at UT anymore, but I would have to assume they would do something big again.

4. If what I was told is accurate, the deal that Adidas has offered would be the largest contract they have, and the second largest apparel deal for any school behind Notre Dame‘s current deal with under Armour.

On #4 are you just referring to the cash piece?

 

[DeerPark12]

Could it be that Nike is probably a huge contributor to Oregon‘s NIL collective and D White doesn’t want to help fund another school?

They aren’t. The Oregon stuff is way overblown.

 

[DeerPark12]

On #4 are you just referring to the cash piece?

Cash and gear.

 

[DeerPark12]

I agree Nike unis are better. I used to like the Greys, but I'm over them all together. They're played out. Stick to the black or a throwback for an alt.

I doubt it'll effect football much. We had more control over the uni with Adidas. DW would just have to make curating them a priority. Keep it simple and it would be fine.

Basketball is where the problem is. Can Nike sponsor individuals via NIL and provide shoes to them, I wonder?

I'll dang sure be stocking up on Adidas fan gear if we switch though.

Actually, Tennessee is had much more control over its uniforms with Nike. Nike allow school graphic designers to begin designing uniforms when that became more of a thing. Every uniform worn by a Tennessee team the last four years has been designed by someone on campus, not someone with Nike.

Adidas designs all of its uniforms in-house, although I’m told Tennessee made that a stipulation of any potential deal that they would continue to be designed by the on campus designer. When Tennessee was with Adidas previously, you could approve or turn down what they presented, but they controlled all design.

 

[WVU05UT09]

Cash and gear.

Arent the renewed Ohio State and Texas Nike deals better than ND?

 

[WVU05UT09]

Schools can design their own uniforms with both companies, and they have the right to say no to any alternates that are designed. Tennessee did it to Adidas on multiple occasions, Tennessee has done it to Nike as well. If a school shows up wearing clown uniforms, that’s on them, not the company that manufactures them.

Fair enough. I assumed given how ugly and widespread the use of those god awful things were it had to be contract mandated.

 

[Yeiser10]

Actually, Tennessee is had much more control over its uniforms with Nike. Nike allow school graphic designers to begin designing uniforms when that became more of a thing. Every uniform worn by a Tennessee team the last four years has been designed by someone on campus, not someone with Nike.

Adidas designs all of its uniforms in-house, although I’m told Tennessee made that a stipulation of any potential deal that they would continue to be designed by the on campus designer. When Tennessee was with Adidas previously, you could approve or turn down what they presented, but they controlled all design.

In your opinion is this a negotiation tactic, or more than likely going to be us making the switch?

 

[JCHateSteve]

Actually, Tennessee is had much more control over its uniforms with Nike. Nike allow school graphic designers to begin designing uniforms when that became more of a thing. Every uniform worn by a Tennessee team the last four years has been designed by someone on campus, not someone with Nike.

Adidas designs all of its uniforms in-house, although I’m told Tennessee made that a stipulation of any potential deal that they would continue to be designed by the on campus designer. When Tennessee was with Adidas previously, you could approve or turn down what they presented, but they controlled all design.

Don you think that will mitigate the less good looking uniforms?

 

[DeerPark12]

Arent the renewed Ohio State and Texas Nike deals better than ND?

I believe the extension that Notre Dame agreed to in 2023 is significantly more than both of those contracts. Not all of the terms of that deal were disclosed, since Notre Dame is a private university. Under Armour is a publicly traded company, but only the basic parameters of their collegiate and pro sports contracts are available to shareholders.

 

[DeerPark12]

In your opinion is this a negotiation tactic, or more than likely going to be us making the switch?

I don’t remember the last school that Nike allowed to get out of the exclusive negotiation window. I think we’re switching.

I said for years, when I was a student, law student, and then a working adult that it would take an AD willing to take less money to switch to Nike and I’ve never thought it would happen. When it did happen, it took Dave Hart deciding that we would become a Nike school at any cost.

It’s going to have to be significantly more money than Nike‘s best offer to go against the wishes of his coaching staffs, but I think it’s going to be a number they can’t turn down and that Nike knew going in they wouldn’t match.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Schools can design their own uniforms with both companies, and they have the right to say no to any alternates that are designed. Tennessee did it to Adidas on multiple occasions, Tennessee has done it to Nike as well. If a school shows up wearing clown uniforms, that’s on them, not the company that manufactures them.

Isn’t there a template to follow? Like say the tire tread that everyone had to wear?

What about basketball and the terrible alternate uniforms that all the adidas schools wore last year to celebrate “Black Excellence”? Are we allowed to turn down those alternates also?

 

[WVU05UT09]

I don’t remember the last school that Nike allowed to get out of the exclusive negotiation window. I think we’re switching.

I dont know the ends and outs of the Tennessee situation but I wouldnt be surprised if they are limited on mega deals going forward.

The non-sports team portion of their portfolio is getting eroded by On Cloud, NB, Vuori, etc etc etc.

I wouldnt be surprised if a lot of deals dont have a lot of pop at renewal.

But difference is a lot of schools pass on cash because they believe in the intangible value of the check logo. Rightly so. Often times its worth more than the school logo.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

@DeerPark12 Is the administration aware of how this switching back is being received by the fan base and do they care ? Going on twitter it’s kind of a bloodbath right now. I would say 95% of the comments are all in favor of Nike and disparaging Adidas.

 

[VolFan_stuck_in_the_901]

@DeerPark12 Is the administration aware of how this switching back is being received by the fan base and do they care ? Going on twitter it’s kind of a bloodbath right now. I would say 95% of the comments are all in favor of Nike and disparaging Adidas.

I mean Vol Twitter never misses an opportunity to show their ass for the whole world to see They've been overreacting to every little morsel of news since the Nico stuff went down

 

[UTwild82]

Between NIL and this looming House vs NCAA settlement, you have to go with who is paying more. Especially if Adidas is going to make us their highest paid school. Even if it makes the children on Twitter mad.

 

[allstar34bd]

Between NIL and this looming House vs NCAA settlement, you have to go with who is paying more. Especially if Adidas is going to make us their highest paid school. Even if it makes the children on Twitter mad.

No question, if what DP12 says is even the slightest bit accurate.... We have to go with it.
It would be like us staying at a job that makes $60k a year and passing on one offering us $250k because we don't like the wrap on the company truck.

 

[DeerPark12]

Isn’t there a template to follow? Like say the tire tread that everyone had to wear?

What about basketball and the terrible alternate uniforms that all the adidas schools wore last year to celebrate “Black Excellence”? Are we allowed to turn down those alternates also?

They do put your uniform design on a template, just like Nike did with the baseball uniforms this year. They were designed to go on a two button pullover jersey and ended up being delivered on the ridiculous Nike Softball-looking collar. Adidas stitched the tire tread pattern the year after we left them, and their templates since then have not altered colors or anything like that. The one they are using now allows for pretty much any design.

Teams can turn down alternate uniforms. You agree in a contract to take part in certain alternate programs like that, but the school and the provider have to agree on a design for it to be worn. Tennessee turned down several designs when they were with Adidas the first time, including the ill-fated checkerboard shoulder smokey gray and several of the more ridiculous March Madness basketball uniforms in both men’s and women’s basketball.

 

[DeerPark12]

@DeerPark12 Is the administration aware of how this switching back is being received by the fan base and do they care ? Going on twitter it’s kind of a bloodbath right now. I would say 95% of the comments are all in favor of Nike and disparaging Adidas.

I think local retailers are the ones that are worried about that, not the administration. Danny White is obligated to do what he thinks is in the best financial interest of the university, the athletic department and the teams. How many T-shirts the Volshop and Dicks Sports Goods sell is not really his concern.

If everybody hates Adidas and nobody buys it, then that will eventually have a small effect on the bottom line, but the licensing percentage that you make on sales is a small fraction of the total value of the deal. Worth noting that the only year in the last 20 years that Tennessee was not in the top 15 of total merchandise sales was in 2014, when Adidas shipped a record low amount of product to retailers and a few people bought those products because they knew they were on the verge of becoming obsolete.

 

[griffdog14]

Sad stuff. I was a student when we switched to Nike and I ran to the volshop to get Nike stuff as soon as it dropped. Really gonna miss the basketball jerseys

 

[Herd Vol]

1. The new contract will begin on July 1, 2026, regardless of who it is with. Like when we moved to Nike, if there is a change, people at Tennessee will work with Adidas on a transition, but nothing will be available until the Nike contract expires on June 30 of that year.

2. Nobody “owns” anything like that. Dark mode is just a marketing gimmick that Tennessee came up with to describe its black uniforms. I would assume we would still have black as an option under Adidas, and it would be designed by a combination of Adidas and Tennessee’s in-house team that has been designing most of the on field uniforms the last few years.

3. I assume Tennessee would do a big unveiling after that July 1 date, like they did for Nike, but I really don’t know. I don’t have super close contacts in the video production department at UT anymore, but I would have to assume they would do something big again.

4. If what I was told is accurate, the deal that Adidas has offered would be the largest contract they have, and the second largest apparel deal for any school behind Notre Dame‘s current deal with under Armour.

Why does Nike seem lukewarm toward UT despite us being a cash cow? And why does it seem that adidas loves and prioritizes Tennessee? Is it because they don’t have Notre Dame anymore?

 

[DeerPark12]

Why does Nike seem lukewarm toward UT despite us being a cash cow? And why does it seem that adidas loves and prioritizes Tennessee? Is it because they don’t have Notre Dame anymore?

I wouldn’t say lukewarm, just not willing to overpay.

 

[orange parmejohn]

1. The new contract will begin on July 1, 2026, regardless of who it is with. Like when we moved to Nike, if there is a change, people at Tennessee will work with Adidas on a transition, but nothing will be available until the Nike contract expires on June 30 of that year.

2. Nobody “owns” anything like that. Dark mode is just a marketing gimmick that Tennessee came up with to describe its black uniforms. I would assume we would still have black as an option under Adidas, and it would be designed by a combination of Adidas and Tennessee’s in-house team that has been designing most of the on field uniforms the last few years.

3. I assume Tennessee would do a big unveiling after that July 1 date, like they did for Nike, but I really don’t know. I don’t have super close contacts in the video production department at UT anymore, but I would have to assume they would do something big again.

4. If what I was told is accurate, the deal that Adidas has offered would be the largest contract they have, and the second largest apparel deal for any school behind Notre Dame‘s current deal with under Armour.

Thanks DP