adidas is about to lose one of its biggest college football names, and Tennessee could wind up feeling the ripple effect.
Miami is set to leave adidas and go back to Nike in 2027, according to a report from On3. The school had been with adidas since 2015, but after re-establishing itself as one of the top football programs in the country, it is headed back to the swoosh on a deal worth $200 million over 10 years. That puts the Hurricanes among Nike’s marquee college properties, right there with Oregon.
For Tennessee, the move matters because the Vols already sit near the top of adidas’ college portfolio. Tennessee signed with adidas for a similar figure to Miami’s Nike deal, according to a previous report from Chris Low, and the school has been positioned as one of the brand’s main faces. With Miami no longer in the mix, UT could become even more visible as adidas’ flagship program.
The company’s current group of schools, excluding Miami, includes Tennessee, Arizona State, Indiana, Grambling State, Mississippi State, NC State, Penn State, St. John’s, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Louisville, Kansas, Nebraska and Washington. Tennessee’s case as the biggest name in that group is easy to make.
That flagship idea was part of the appeal for Tennessee when it moved from Nike to adidas, and Josh Heupel made that point clear in his first press conference after the switch.
“We’re fortunate, had a partner that wanted to make us their flagship school,” Heupel said. “That’s going to happen in a lot of different ways and going to be a benefit to our football program.
But this athletic department as a whole too. Had an opportunity to come talk to some other guys and I think everybody’s really excited that, again, we’re going to be the flagship school for them and it’s going to provide a lot of unique opportunities for our players both on and off the field.”
Tennessee’s first adidas uniforms are already out for the fall sports slate. Football has worn the home orange look against Furman and then an all-white road uniform at Georgia Tech. The Vols will wear their new Smokey Grey uniforms against Auburn in a few weeks and are also set to use the Dark Mode set later this season.
In Other News...
Tennessee's Loaded Offense Could Have One More Freshman Problem Soon
Tennessees offense already has the look of a unit built to stay dangerous for a while, but ESPN thinks the Vols may not be done adding playmakers to the picture. The latest name to watch is five-star running back recruit David Gabriel-Georges, who checks in at No. 13 overall in the SC Next ESPN 300 and arrives with the kind of power, balance and explosiveness that can make a freshman hard to keep off the field.
For Tennessee, the appeal goes beyond simply landing another elite recruit. Gabriel-Georges has the traits to contribute early and eventually grow into a featured role, which matters for an offense that could be looking ahead to a post-2026 backfield if DeSean Bishop moves on to the NFL. Even in a loaded room, the Vols have a chance to turn a highly rated newcomer into the next major piece of the attack. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee-Texas Just Added More Intrigue For Frustrated Vols Fans
Kenny Chesney helped put Tennessees Sept. 26 matchup with Texas back in the spotlight during an appearance on ESPNs First Take, where the Knoxville native was on hand to promote his new tour and ended up talking football instead. The Volunteers are set to host the Longhorns at Neyland Stadium in the annual Checker Neyland game, with ABC carrying the broadcast and a Noon ET kickoff currently on the books.
For fans already frustrated by the timing, the attention only added another layer to a game that already carries plenty of weight on the schedule. Stephen A. Smith raised the possibility the kickoff could still be changed, leaving Tennessee supporters with one more wrinkle to monitor as the date draws closer and the buildup to one of the seasons biggest home games keeps growing. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Have One Reason To Expect A Stress-Free Saturday
Knox News took a different route in previewing Tennessees upcoming game against Kennesaw State, running 100 simulations of the matchup on EA Sports College Football 27. The results pointed to what Vols fans probably hope to see on a fall Saturday: Tennessee controlling the game early and often, with the model projecting an average score around 51-17 and plenty of room for the offense to settle in.
The simulations leaned heavily toward a comfortable finish for Tennessee, which fits the broader sense that this is a game the Vols should handle without much drama. There were statistical trends worth watching in the breakdown, along with reporter notes on how the matchup could play out, but the larger takeaway was hard to miss: if the real game follows the video-game script, Tennessee should spend most of the afternoon in command. [Read more 🡒]