Miami athletics is headed back to Nike, and the move comes with a price tag that reflects just how valuable the Hurricanes have become.
The University has agreed to a 10-year apparel deal worth more than $200 million, bringing the swoosh back to Miami after a 12-year run with Adidas. The switch will take effect when the current Adidas agreement expires next July, ahead of the 2027 athletic season.
This is a notable turn from the last time Miami was in the market. Back in 2015, Nike declined to match Adidas’ offer, and that decision sent the Hurricanes into the longest-standing collegiate partnership in Adidas history. That contract was set to run through 2027.
Now the tables have flipped. Miami entered these talks in a strong position after its national championship appearance, and Adidas reportedly would not match Nike’s offer.
The timing mattered, too, with other major programs resetting the market. Adidas reached a 10-year, $300 million deal with Penn State on July 1, then followed that with a 10-year, $100 million agreement with Tennessee the next day.
The new Miami deal is believed to make the Hurricanes Nike’s second-largest collegiate investment, behind only Oregon, where the company was founded.
The relationship between Miami and Adidas was long and wide-ranging. It was the first all-sport apparel partnership the company had with a top program, and Adidas had spent the last decade building its footprint in South Florida sports from high school all the way to the college level.
That push showed up in recruiting and local signings, too. South Florida talents such as Malachi Toney, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Miami recruits A’mir Sears and Nick Lennear all signed with Adidas within the last year. Then in 2025, Adidas struck a five-year, $13.5 million deal to outfit all 41 of Miami-Dade County High Schools’ athletics uniforms.
Even with that deep Adidas presence in the region, Miami’s history with Nike has always carried weight. The Hurricanes’ original Nike partnership was the first all-sports apparel contract in collegiate history, and it covered four of the program’s football national titles - 1987, 1989, 1999 and 2001 - along with two baseball titles in 1999 and 2001.
Miami now joins South Carolina as Power Four programs to sign with Nike in the past year.
In Other News...
Miami Heads Into Wake Forest With A Depth Problem Fans Feared
Miamis first ACC availability report for the Wake Forest game arrived with a familiar kind of concern for Mario Cristobals defense, as four Hurricanes were listed out because of injuries. Cornerbacks OJ Frederique Jr. and Xavier Lucas, defensive back JaBoree Antoine and tight end Luka Gilbert all landed on the report, leaving Miami to sort through its depth chart with a road trip looming and a few key spots suddenly thinner than expected.
Cristobal offered injury details and recovery timelines for the injured players, but the bigger immediate question is how Miami adjusts on the back end if it has to go without multiple defensive backs. Wake Forest, meanwhile, appears set to go with Gio Lopez, who is listed as probable and expected to start, so the Hurricanes are heading into the matchup knowing the opposing offense should have its quarterback situation settled while theirs carries a little more uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Herbstreit Said What Miami Fans Were Already Thinking
Miami fans did not need much convincing that a move away from Adidas would be welcomed, but Kirk Herbstreit went ahead and said the quiet part out loud. The ESPN analyst publicly reacted to Miamis reported $200 million deal with Nike, celebrating the switch in a way that matched the frustration plenty of Hurricanes supporters had already been feeling about the programs look on Saturdays.
Herbstreit had already made his feelings known about Miamis Adidas uniforms, and his latest reaction only added to the sense that the apparel change was overdue. With his platform on ESPN and College GameDay, his voice carries plenty of weight, and the enthusiasm around the new Nike era is now part of the broader buzz surrounding Miami as it keeps trying to sharpen its brand on and off the field. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Fans Just Got An Early Look At A Challenging 2027 ACC Slate
The Atlantic Coast Conference has already given Miami fans a glimpse at what the 2027 football season could look like, and the early returns suggest a demanding league slate. The Hurricanes schedule includes matchups with Cal, Louisville, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, a group that should keep the conversation around the program centered on depth, travel and how well Mario Cristobals team handles the grind of ACC play.
One date stands out right away: Wake Forest is set for Friday, Sept. 18, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, giving Miami another primetime spot on a night stage. Cristobal has already talked about the teams preparation and practice schedule, a reminder that even with the calendar still well ahead, the Hurricanes are thinking about how to manage the work required for a schedule that does not look forgiving from the start. [Read more 🡒]