The Longstanding College Football Record That Can Fall in the 2025 Playoff

Elizabeth Swinton | 3 Hours Ago

Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza can help lead the Hoosiers to the CFP title game. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Plenty of history is on the line as the 2025 College Football Playoff quarterfinals kick off on Wednesday evening.

As the remaining field includes familiar and not-so-familiar faces, lesser-frequented teams such as Indiana will have a chance to carve themselves as worthy champions. In particular, three programs can accomplish something not seen in nearly three decades.

No. 1 Indiana, No. 4 Texas Tech and No. 10 Miami will all have the chance to become the first Adidas-partner school to win a college football national title since the 1998 season, when Tennessee won the inaugural year of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS).

A Nike-partner school has won 24 of the past 25 college football championships, with Ohio State the most recent program to accomplish the feat. The lone exception occurred in the 2010 season, when Auburn (then partnered with Under Armour) beat Oregon behind Heisman QB Cam Newton for the BCS title.

Outside Tennessee's 1998 BCS title, an Adidas-partner school has only reached the college football title game once—when Washington faced Michigan (a Jordan Brand program under Nike) in the 2024 CFP. The Huskies, who were led by now-Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer and current Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., lost to the Wolverines, 34-13.

Nike is the lone competitor to Adidas in the CFP field this year, sporting eight programs compared to Adidas' four in the 12-team field.

For Adidas, the brand sees the broadened representation as a reflection of its increased commitment in college football. The brand currently has multiple active players signed to NIL deals, including Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, Texas Tech QB Behren Morton and transfer QB Dylan Raiola, among others. The signings build on partnerships in recent years with former Huskies QB Penix Jr. and WR Rome Odunze, along with former Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter.

The brand has marked recent growth by expanding its number of partner schools; Adidas began a 10-year partnership with Texas Tech in 2024 and is currently awaiting a return as Tennessee's brand partner in July 2026. Further, Adidas continues to invest in the high school and professional ranks, the latter of which is led by former Red Raider and current Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.

The momentum for the brand is something Chris McGuire, the vice president of sports marketing at Adidas, says reflects Adidas' increased commitment within college football.

"We've had a long-standing relationship with a lot of university partners over the years, but it's kind of a renewed focus," McGuire said to Sports Illustrated. "We know how important that space is for us. We know how important football is for the U.S. sports consumers. So it's always important for us to continue to push the envelope a little bit, be creative, have momentum in this space."

When it comes to ending the 27-year drought, McGuire says little would top an Adidas-partner school being the last one standing.

"Obviously to have the national champion wearing Adidas in the three stripes, that's the ultimate, goal and achievement," McGuire said. "To be able to celebrate with one of our partners this year, that accomplishment with that would really be unrivaled for the brand over the course of the last couple of decades."

With the potential for an all-Adidas title game in Miami, it is up to Indiana, Texas Tech and Miami to break the cycle and make history again.

"We're excited obviously to have Tennessee back joining us next year, but to have that achievement and be able to tell storytell around that and really cement ourselves as a true football brand, is insurmountable for us and something that we're extremely excited to hopefully celebrate," McGuire said. "And then... we've got to stay hungry, stay on our feet and keep the momentum up in that space."

---

More College Football on Sports Illustrated

SI BTN Newsletter. Start off your day with SI:CYMI. dark. FREE NEWSLETTER

feed