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If Nick Saban and Cody Campbell help control college sports’ future, how might it look?

— By Chris Vannini, Sam Khan Jr. and Justin Williams Can a presidential commission do anything substantial to change college sports? The recent news that President Donald Trump may get involved in the prolonged effort to bring stability to college sports sparked plenty of debate on that question. But what could such a commission do, […]

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3 months ago

May 13, 2025

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— By Chris Vannini, Sam Khan Jr. and Justin Williams

Can a presidential commission do anything substantial to change college sports?

The recent news that President Donald Trump may get involved in the prolonged effort to bring stability to college sports sparked plenty of debate on that question. But what could such a commission do, and what would the reported co-chairs, former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Texas Tech board chair and billionaire booster Cody Campbell, aim to accomplish?

Though we don’t yet know the scope of the commission or how deep it will dive into issues like name, image and likeness compensation or the transfer portal, Saban and Campbell’s past public statements provide some clues on what they might seek to address.

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Saban has criticized the money flowing into the NIL market from deep-pocketed donors; Campbell is one of those donors, bankrolling Texas Tech’s recent success in player acquisition. Although NIL freedoms were designed to allow players to pursue marketing or endorsement deals, donors and their collectives quickly took to using them as a proxy for a pay-for-play system.

“To me, the biggest issue we have in college athletics is donor-induced name, image and likeness,” Saban said last fall at a panel in Dallas alongside NCAA president Charlie Baker. “Instead of doing what we’re doing now, we should be having revenue-sharing with the athletes so that their quality of life is better.”

Revenue sharing is indeed on the way, pending approval of the House v. NCAA settlement. But Saban and Campbell have expressed a desire for national NIL rules, rather than a collection of different state laws. The NCAA has long lobbied Congress for federal NIL legislation, to no avail. A bipartisan group of senators, led by Ted Cruz (R-Texas), continues to work on the issue, but nothing appears imminent.

Campbell, who has written several op-eds about college sports for The Federalist, advocated in April for an antitrust exemption that would allow a governing body to enact a single set of rules to supersede the “patchwork of 34 different state laws” that currently exist.

The House settlement, if it’s approved, will establish a revenue-sharing cap of at least $20 million that schools can distribute to athletes, and the Power 4 leaders are planning to create an enforcement organization for traditional NIL, but it’s not yet clear whether that will slow pay-for-play “NIL” as we know it today.

Texas Tech board chair and billionaire Cody Campbell has written several op-eds about college sports for The Federalist. (Mateo Rosiles/ Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Transfer portal

Campbell hasn’t written much about the portal, and Texas Tech has been an active user in recent years. Saban, however, has criticized the transfer rules for their effect on team chemistry and graduation rates.

“I’m all for the players, and I want the players to benefit, and I think we went far too long without the players being able to benefit,” Saban said last year. “But the system that we have right now makes it much more difficult for a coach to really create the culture on this team, because guys can leave whenever they want. So they don’t have to make the same kind of commitment that we all had to make, in terms of, how did you value your college experience?”

Restricting player movement hasn’t come up much in congressional hearings compared to the financial concerns, but the question of whether outgoing players should owe contract buyouts has gained steam as revenue sharing approaches. Arkansas’ NIL collective is currently looking to collect a buyout from quarterback Madden Iamaleava, who signed with Arkansas in December but has since transferred to UCLA.

Non-revenue sports

Despite their shared backgrounds in college football, Saban and Campbell have expressed concern over the impact on Olympic and non-revenue sports as more money shifts toward football and basketball.

“Of 134 FBS schools, 90 or more could lose funding for Olympic sports, women’s teams, and even football itself (not to mention the FCS and Division II),” Campbell wrote in March on The Federalist. “Local towns could crumble. Smaller colleges would fade. College sports would shrink from a national treasure to an elite clique, and countless dreams would be crushed.”

Saban cited Alabama’s softball team, one of the best in the country, as a winning program that doesn’t make money.

“What people don’t understand about college athletics, in my opinion, it’s not a business,” Saban said last September. “It’s revenue-producing. … Nobody takes a profit in college athletics. What do we do with the money? We reinvest it in the players and opportunities for non-revenue sports, so that they have an opportunity to graduate and compete.”

A large part of that cost also includes growing salaries for coaches, but Saban and Campbell both seem interested in finding ways for football — and, to a lesser extent, basketball — to continue funding non-revenue college sports under a reformed system.

Conference media rights/super leagues

Though Campbell called for antitrust protections, he doesn’t want to give those protections solely to the Power 4 leagues, even with his ties to Texas Tech and the Big 12, and said that any solutions must be “maximally inclusive” of the 130-plus Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

“Give the Autonomy Four (especially the Big 10 and SEC) a free antitrust hall pass, and they’ll build a super conference, a gilded monopoly that starves everyone else of the revenue needed to provide opportunity to more than 500,000 student athletes per year,” he wrote in March.

Saban, meanwhile, has said in the past that he’d like power conference schools to only schedule each other.

Campbell has written that the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 should be opened up to allow a broadcasting antitrust exemption for college sports as it does for pro sports, which could allow the entire FBS to pool and negotiate its broadcast rights collectively. Last week, Cruz remarked in a Senate committee hearing on streaming that the concept was something worth looking into, while also sharing concern about the NFL bumping up against protected late-season college football windows.

The SBA is one of the first major hurdles faced by recent Super League proposals from private equity groups that would include all of FBS or only the Power 4. The Big Ten and SEC have shown no interest in concepts that would lessen their financial advantage, but Campbell shares similar views with those promoting the Super League ideas: An antitrust exemption would lead to more money for everyone.

“The big and storied programs will continue to retain an advantage because of their massive ticket sales, donor support, and ability to monetize licensing and merchandise,” Campbell wrote, “but the smaller schools will at least be able to maintain solvent athletic departments and support non-revenue sports.”

Campbell has also advocated for “geographic sense” for conference alignment, expressing concern about travel time and the loss of rivalries. Finding a way to unwind conference realignment seems difficult, but it’s a topic any casual fan of college sports, including members of Congress, would understand.

Student-athlete employment status

The issue of employee or collective bargaining status for college athletes is not directly addressed in the House settlement, but it is expected to be one of the next high-profile legal battles in the industry.

Saban and Campbell have expressed desires for college athletes to remain students and for college sports to maintain some semblance of an academic model.

“Establishing this non-employee status will help to limit the cost burden of sponsoring an intercollegiate sport, and ensure that benefits like a scholarship are not taxable as income,” Campbell wrote in April.

Campbell also noted the Title IX implications of this debate: “(T)he proper application of Title IX with respect to the payment of student athletes must be made clear in order to prevent another wave of disruptive litigation.”

It’s yet to be seen who else will be on this presidential commission, what it will focus on and whether it will actually influence anything. But its existence would put more focus on doing something.

“My only hope is that leadership can emerge and consensus can be found in Washington before it’s too late,” Campbell wrote in April. “There are solutions, and the problems can be solved in a bipartisan manner. It is only a matter of will, engagement, and attention from well-intentioned individuals who wish to perpetuate the legacy and impact of the great American institution of Intercollegiate Athletics for all of its participants — not just for a privileged few.”

Saban for years has worked as a de facto voice of the sport, especially in his role at ESPN, and Campbell laid the political groundwork with his writing. The pair may soon have the ability to drive even more of the conversation for actual change.

“If we can just get it together and put it together, we’d have a great system,” Saban said. “I think the future of college football is great. I really do. I’m not down on the game. I’m just down on the system of how we get money to players. That’s got to be fixed.”

(Top photo of Nick Saban and Donald Trump: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Report: Tennessee-adidas deal includes multi-million dollar NIL component

After more than a decade, Tennessee announced it was returning to adidas as part of a 10-year contract. Through the agreement, though, the Vols will also be in position for NIL success. In the announcement, Tennessee said the deal with adidas includes “unprecedented NIL opportunities” for athletes at the school. Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported […]

Published

20 minutes ago

August 13, 2025

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After more than a decade, Tennessee announced it was returning to adidas as part of a 10-year contract. Through the agreement, though, the Vols will also be in position for NIL success.

In the announcement, Tennessee said the deal with adidas includes “unprecedented NIL opportunities” for athletes at the school. Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported players will get a slice of the pie, and adidas is even working quickly to secure deals with Vols athletes this school year. The new contract doesn’t officially start until next school year.

The NIL component of Tennessee’s deal with adidas – which could be worth at least $10 million, according to Dellenger – is especially important in the post-House v. NCAA settlement landscape. Under the agreement, schools can share up to $20.5 million directly with athletes through revenue-sharing. However, there isn’t a cap on third-party NIL deals, meaning adidas can effectively help with “over-the-cap” opportunities.

“The arms race was originally about facilities,” said Chris McGuire, adidas Vice President of Sports Marketing for North America, while speaking with Yahoo! Sports. “Now it’s gone to rev-share and NIL. We want to make sure we provide opportunities to our partners that are competitive in the marketplace so they’ll have competitive teams on the field.”

If Tennessee athletes sign an NIL deal with adidas, they would be able to wear the company’s products in games once the new agreement gets in place. This year, though, those athletes would have to wear Nike apparel until that deal expires.

Adidas is active in the football NIL space

Adidas has been active in the NIL space, including signing multiple highly rated recruits as part of the adizero Class of 2025, headlined by five-star LSU commit and top wide receiver prospect Tristen Keys. No. 1-ranked linebacker Tyler Atkinson is also on board, giving adidas two of the 10 highest-rated 2026 recruits on its growing athlete roster.

Ohio State wide receiver commits Chris Henry Jr. and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt are both part of the initiative, as is Texas A&M commit Madden Williams. Five-star receiver Calvin Russell, who ranks as the No. 4-ranked wide receiver in the country, rounds out the group.

Ohio State star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith also became the latest active college football player to sign an NIL deal with adidas, though the Buckeyes are a Nike school. Former Miami quarterback Cam Ward was also did so last year, and the company also struck quickly ahead of the NFL Draft by landing top picks Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter as part of its rookie class.

More on Tennessee’s new agreement with adidas

Tennessee left adidas in 2014 to sign with Nike, and the amended deal runs through 2026. Through the partnership, the university is due to receive $1.2 million in base compensation in 2025-26 and $4.5 million in annual product allotment.

UT initially signed its deal with Nike in 2014, and the original contract paid the school $7.6 million through 2022-23. However, the amendment increased that figure to 11.6 million over 11 years and increased the scheduled payment to $1.2 million for the final three years of the agreement, starting in 2023-24.

“The role of a college athletics sideline partner has changed dramatically in the 11 years since we last partnered with Tennessee Athletics,” said adidas Vice President of Sports Marketing for North America Chris McGuire in a release. “adidas is establishing a new standard for investment in NIL with this partnership that will sustain UT’s powerful athletics program as the university continues competing for championships for years to come.”

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Dawn Staley: South Carolina women’s basketball to sign NDAs for revenue sharing

South Carolina head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley recently sat down with former First Lady Michelle Obama on her podcast to discuss the recent growth in attention on women’s sports, but may have made some news when the topic veered into the future of revenue-sharing in collegiate athletics. The landmark House v. NCAA Settlement, which […]

Published

21 minutes ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

South Carolina head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley recently sat down with former First Lady Michelle Obama on her podcast to discuss the recent growth in attention on women’s sports, but may have made some news when the topic veered into the future of revenue-sharing in collegiate athletics.

The landmark House v. NCAA Settlement, which was approved June 6 but went into affect July 1, awarded colleges the opportunity to share as much as $20.5 million with its student-athletes as part of a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that effectively ended the NCAA’s outdated “amateur” model.

During her Aug. 13 appearance on “IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson,” Staley revealed her Gamecocks players must sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in order to receive any revenue-share money from the university, to which the former First Lady agreed that college athletes don’t need to know each other’s rev-share take, according to the Greenville News.

“Now whether they can stick with that or not, some of them get disgruntled and maybe transfer and just say what ‘I was making (amount)’ and it can stir up the pot but I’m very honest,” Staley said June 10, when the episode was recorded, per the Greenville News. “I’ll tell them, there’s a reason why you get paid this and you get paid that. I’ll explain that to them.”

Michelle Obama was particularly interested in how college athletics’ new financial opportunties, including NIL, have already impacted locker rooms, especially among women’s athletics, which are only slotted to receive a fraction of each school’s $20.5 million cap figure. For her part, Staley said she hasn’t personally seen any detrimental impact yet.

While not a hardline dispursment figure, as schools can spend their allotted revenue-share as they see fit, football programs are expected to receive roughly 75-percent with men’s basketball garnering 15-percent. That leaves the remaining 10-percent of the $20.5 million to be split between women’s basketball (5%) and all other sports (5%), an issue that’s already resulted in multiple Title IX lawsuits against the settlement.

Staley made it clear to Obama that she’s been upfront in all financial conversations she’s had with her South Carolina athletes, including having direct conversations with their respective agents when necessary, though several of her players have the same agents, according to the Greenville News.

While South Carolina hasn’t specifically revealed how it will dispurse its revenue-share allotment, Staley confirmed to Obama that it’s “probably $20 million per school, but that’s football, that’s men’s basketball and maybe sprinking women’s basketball and other Olympic sports,” per the Greenville News.

Staley, who won her third NCAA Division I National Championship last season and remains one of the sport’s winningest coaches in major women’s college basketball, specifically cited the impact revenue-sharing and NIL have had to recruiting as “the difficult part,” according to the Greenville News.

“The market says that if you’re a non-contributor and you go into the portal, they can go ask a school like us for $100,000,” Staley said, per the Greenville News. “If I entertain that, they’re going to take it to another school, (and say) ‘Hey, South Carolina offered me a hundred grand, you got $150,000?”

Difficulties aside, Staley called for college athletics to find a way to balance that allows smaller sports to continue to embrace the amateur and scholastic side of collegiate sports while also allowing student-athletes to “benefit” financially from their own name, image and likeness.

“I’m supportive of it, I really am,” Staley said, per the Greenville News. “I think it’s long overdue. … (But) we got to find a way to balance. To keep it an amateur sport while allowing young people to go out there and benefit from their name, image and likeness.”

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Univ. of South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley says players sign NDAs around NIL deals

Published

46 minutes ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Univ. of South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley said that she “has players sign non-disclosure agreements” in an “attempt to prevent players from telling each other how much they’re making from NIL deals or revenue sharing,” according to Michael Sauls of the Columbia STATE. Staley, appearing on “IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson,” said that the NDAs are “one way she keeps the money players receive from affecting South Carolina’s locker room” and “no revenue discussions have yet to affect the locker room.” Sauls notes Staley is “supportive of this new era of college athletics that finds the players benefiting more than ever from a monetary standpoint,” but she “feels additional control is needed.” Staley is “believed to be one of the few, perhaps the only, head coach at South Carolina who prefers to directly handle” the program’s NIL discussions. South Carolina has “not made its own distribution breakdown public, but Staley has long argued for a larger piece of the rev-share pie.” Staley said, “We’ve got a certain amount of money that we have to work with, and I don’t over-promise.” She added, “I do some innovative things as well to help our players out in this space. We play games for money, and that money goes directly to our players, things like that.” Sauls notes South Carolina will be playing in the Players Era Women’s Championship, which will provide players with at least $1M of “NIL opportunities in each year that it participates” (Columbia STATE, 8/13).

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Women’s Soccer Kicks Off 2025 Season with Home Games Against Southern Miss, Ole Miss

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Another athletic year is set to begin at the University of Memphis, and as usual, women’s soccer will be the ones to set the stage. The 15-time conference champions will open the regular season with two home games, beginning against Southern Miss at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 14. They will battle with […]

Published

49 minutes ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Another athletic year is set to begin at the University of Memphis, and as usual, women’s soccer will be the ones to set the stage.

The 15-time conference champions will open the regular season with two home games, beginning against Southern Miss at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 14. They will battle with Ole Miss on Sunday, August 17, at 7 p.m. With limited bleacher seating at the under-construction Track and Soccer Stadium, fans are encouraged to bring their own chairs for home games in 2025.

With 14 freshmen, 12 sophomores, two juniors and one senior, the 2025 team is the youngest in program history. They are not short of returning production, however, as they bring back their two best goal contributors in junior forward Ashley Henderson (nine goals, three assists) and sophomore midfielder Ai Kitagawa (six goals, six assists).

Also returning to the regular season champions is junior defender Finley Lavin, who has been a mainstay in the Tiger lineup since her freshman season. The trio was named to the American Conference Preseason Watch List and will be expected to carry heavy workloads throughout the center of the pitch.

“You want to make sure the spine of your team is shored up, and having real experience in those positions definitely helps,” said head coach Brooks Monaghan.

Several players took advantage of their enlarged roles in the spring to carve themselves a spot, and even more have done so in recent weeks. Despite the team’s relative youth, Monaghan hasn’t lowered the championship standard heading into his 26th season.

“The biggest thing is kids adapting to ‘Memphis Soccer.’ You don’t know how hard it is at this level until you’re here. Communication is key, and we really rely on the leadership from returning players just as much as the staff. If we can stay healthy, I’m really optimistic about where we’re at.”

With five power five opponents in the non-conference slate, August could prove to be a crucial month in the trajectory of this team’s season.

Game One: Southern Miss

The Lady Eagles will roll into town on college soccer’s opening night for the 16th match overall between the teams and the first since 2012. After losing the first four battles with USM in the program’s early days, Memphis has rattled off 11 straight wins against their former Conference USA foes. The combined score of those 11 matchups, spanning from 2002 to 2012, is 33-6.

Southern Miss is coached by Mohammed El-Zare, who has been at the helm of the program since 2013. Last season, they went 3-7-5, posting a six-game unbeaten streak near the end of the year in a push for the Sun Belt tournament, which they fell just short of.

Forward Raquelle Mitchell returns to Hattiesburg for her sophomore season, coming off a freshman campaign where she posted four goals and three assists.

Game Two: Ole Miss

In what has become one of the region’s biggest college soccer rivalries, Memphis will look to pick up a third consecutive victory over the Rebels for the first time in program history. Ole Miss won the first three matchups in the history; since then, it is 11-10 in favor of Memphis with three draws, and neither team has won more than two in a row. Last season, Kitagawa announced her arrival with two goals in an eight-minute span in the second half as the No. 8 Tigers won in Oxford, 2-1.

Ole Miss was slated to battle MVSU at home in their season-opener on Thursday; the match has been canceled due to “personnel traveling issues.” The Rebels will play an exhibition against William Carey in its place before officially opening the season in Memphis.

Molly Rouse is in her third year as Ole Miss head coach; she has accumulated a record of 12-20-4 through her first two seasons, and is 0-2 against Memphis. Returners Tate Blincoe, Lauren Montgomery and Katie Ramsden were all named to the SEC Preseason Watchlist.

Tiger Tidbits

How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Soccer, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team’s social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Tennessee to reunite with Adidas as apparel partner in 2026

Tennessee is returning to a familiar face on the clothing front. The university announced Wednesday afternoon that is reuniting with Adidas as the official footwear, uniform, apparel and sideline partner of Volunteers and Lady Vols athletic teams. The 10-year agreement will go into effect on July 1, 2026. “Our mission is to build the premier […]

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1 hour ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Tennessee to reunite with Adidas as apparel partner in 2026

Tennessee is returning to a familiar face on the clothing front.

The university announced Wednesday afternoon that is reuniting with Adidas as the official footwear, uniform, apparel and sideline partner of Volunteers and Lady Vols athletic teams. The 10-year agreement will go into effect on July 1, 2026.

“Our mission is to build the premier athletics department in the country and to lead the way in college sports,” Tennessee athletic director Danny White said through a release. “Partnering with adidas is an ideal fit, as is their mission to be the best sports brand in the world. There is no denying the resurgence of Tennessee athletics, which is powered by the greatest fan base in all of sports. Our strong licensing numbers, impressive television ratings, and sold-out venues all reflect this. We appreciate that 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.”

Tennessee and Adidas partnered from 1995 to 2014, with that stretch highlighted by the Vols winning college football’s national championship for the 1998 season and Pat Summitt guiding the Lady Vols to five of her eight national crowns in women’s basketball. The school then linked with Nike for what will wind up being a 12-year run.

Candace Parker was the star of Tennessee’s 2007 and 2008 national championship teams, and Adidas named her the company’s president of women’s basketball on May 8, 2024.

“This marks an important moment for our organization as we reestablish our partnership with the University of Tennessee, which 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,” John Miller, the Adidas president for North America, said in the release.

According to the release, the partnership between Tennessee and Adidas will offer “unprecedented NIL opportunities for student-athletes across all 20 of the university’s varsity programs.” Tennessee is scheduled to receive $1.2 million in base compensation during its final year with Nike and $4.5 million in annual product allotment, but terms of the Adidas pact were not immediately known.

Fox Sports Knoxville reported in May that Tennessee was mulling a new apparel deal with Adidas and that the likelihood of a departure from Nike was “high.”

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.

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Tennessee athletics switching from to Adidas from Nike in 2026

University of Tennessee athletics will switch from Nike to Adidas in 2026 as its official apparel supplier. Knox News reported the 10-year deal along with an exclusive interview with Chris McGuire, Adidas Vice President of Sports Marketing. UT and Adidas made the official announcement on Aug. 13. Adidas will become UT’s official footwear, uniform, apparel and […]

Published

1 hour ago

August 13, 2025

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University of Tennessee athletics will switch from Nike to Adidas in 2026 as its official apparel supplier.

Knox News reported the 10-year deal along with an exclusive interview with Chris McGuire, Adidas Vice President of Sports Marketing. UT and Adidas made the official announcement on Aug. 13.

Adidas will become UT’s official footwear, uniform, apparel and sideline partner, beginning July 1, 2026. It had previously served as the Vols’ apparel provider from 1995 to 2015.

Nike will remain the Vols’ apparel and uniform supplier for the 2025-26 academic year while UT prepares for the switch to Adidas. Nike did not make a counter offer to the Adidas bid.

Who will design Tennessee uniforms?

UT designs its own uniforms in house and collaborates with the brand to bring them to the field, the court and official team stores.

That doesn’t guarantee that fans will like every uniform design. But it does ensure that UT won’t be caught off guard by a color scheme or design that it did not intend.

The change from Nike to Adidas could be a divisive decision among UT fans.

During the previous partnership, there were highs like the Vols wearing Adidas football jerseys during the 1998 national title season. And there were lows like the awkward uniform designs during sub-par football seasons late in the Adidas era.

But the Adidas contract will help fund UT’s revenue sharing pool to pay athletes.

Plus, Adidas prioritizes college sports, so it could open doors to national branding campaigns for elite UT athletes with signature NIL deals. At Nike, most of those opportunities were reserved for NFL and NBA players.

That’s a new concept in the NIL era, where schools can facilitate corporate contracts for their athletes. National campaigns then feature those college athletes in ways they couldn’t do in the previous era.

How Tennessee let Nike go

UT’s contract with Nike runs through June 30, 2026, according to the amendment provided by the university to Knox News.

The deal was initially set to run through 2023, but former AD Dave Hart signed an extension through the 2025-26 academic year.

Nike is scheduled to pay Tennessee $1.2 million in base compensation in 2025-26, with an annual product allotment of $4.5 million. UT gets an annual Nike ELITE credit of $100,000 for the athletics department and an additional $100,000 for football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and administration.

Per the contract, UT and Nike began negotiations for extending the deal in late 2024. But that exclusive negotiating window ended March 30.

That’s when Adidas and other brands came into the picture. Nike could’ve matched the highest bid, but it did not.

The Vols are a popular brand in college sports. They have an enormous fan base and enjoy the widespread exposure of the SEC. That made UT a coveted client, and Adidas submitted a bid that wouldn’t be beaten.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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