What Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel said about Vols’ change to Adidas
Josh Heupel is welcoming the opportunity for Tennessee to be “the flagship school” for Adidas as the school and the athletics giant partnered in a blockbuster deal.
“We are fortunate,” the Tennessee football coach said Aug. 15. “We had a partner that wanted to make us their flagship school. That is going to happen in a lot of different ways. It is going to be a benefit to our football program but this athletic department as a whole, too.”
Adidas will be the official footwear, uniform, apparel and sideline partner of UT Athletics as of July 1, 2026, ending an 11-year run with Nike.
“They had an opportunity to come talk to some of our guys and I think everybody is really excited that again we are going to be the flagship school for them,” Heupel said of Adidas. “It is going to provide a lot of unique opportunities for our players on and off the field.”
Vols athletic director Danny White told Knox News on Aug. 13 that Tennessee “will be the flagship to Adidas” and that UT found “the right brand” with which to partner. He said in a statement that it was imperative for UT to find a supplier that recognized the athletic department’s potential and value.
Nike and UT began negotiations for extending their deal in late 2024. But that exclusive negotiating window ended March 30, which opened the possibility for other companies to work a deal with Tennessee. Adidas came through with a 10-year deal that Nike did not counter.
Neither Adidas nor UT disclosed financial terms of the deal because its unique structure would provide a competitive advantage if revealed, a UT spokesperson said.
