Desmond Howard Picked Miami in Air Jordans — Adidas Fumbled

College GameDay host Desmond Howard unveiled his Miami Hurricanes pick with Air Jordan sneakers.

Desmond Howard used his sneakers to pick the Miami Hurricanes over the Florida Gators. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Desmond Howard is an American treasure. The football icon-turned-television broadcaster sets the bar impossibly high with his fashion, knowledge, and sense of humor every Saturday during the college football season.

Each week, fans tune in to hear Howard and the rest of his co-hosts' predictions on ESPN's College GameDay. Much to the delight of fans in Coral Gables, Howard picked the Miami Hurricanes to defeat the Florida Gators in tonight's primetime matchup on ABC.

However, adidas was probably less enthusiastic about Howard's selection. Of course, it is great that he picked an adidas-sponsored school to beat a Jordan Brand-sponsored school in the football haven of the Sunshine State.

.@DesmondHoward, Nick Saban and @TKACHUKycheese_ all pick Miami to beat the Gators today 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pWwEg2d48a

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 20, 2025

But Howard made his selection by kicking his feet up on the desk to show a crisp pair of white, orange, and green Air Jordan 3 sneakers.

More specifically, the unreleased SoleFly x Air Jordan 3 "Miami" colorway. The same sneakers that were worn by Hurricanes legends on the sidelines during the Notre Dame game earlier this month.

It was a fumble for adidas. The company has plenty of officially licensed sneakers in Hurricanes colorways on its website.

Miami Hurricanes QB Carson Beck in the @SOLEFLY x AIR JORDAN 3 ahead of the Miami vs. Florida game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZWXnBuYlnO

— Sneaker News (@SneakerNews) September 20, 2025

They had no reason to assume Howard was going to pick Miami, but that is when you have to study your opponent. SoleFly has been reading the coverage and jumping passing lanes to intercept viral moments like they're Ed Reed.

Or maybe it was an extremely lucky coincidence for the South Miami sneaker boutique to have its unreleased sneaker collaboration previewed on national television in front of athletes and fans. Then Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck is interviewed while wearing the sneakers too.

At 55 years old, Howard knows his Air Jordans. He is a major sneakerhead and keeps up with the trends. It would not be surprising if he were so locked into the sneaker scene that he saw it as an opportunity to flex a pair of upcoming sneakers in a fun way.

https://t.co/H7Q9usZ2c2 https://t.co/B5hvms3E65

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) September 1, 2025

Either way, it was a missed opportunity for adidas, which is strange because the company has been all over the South Florida football scene. The brand recently signed all 41 Miami-Dade public high school athletic departments to a historic sponsorship deal.

Currently, there is no official release information for the SoleFly x Air Jordan 3. However, they are rumored to be releasing in limited numbers during the Holiday 2025 shopping season for $225 in adult sizes.

Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear and apparel news from the college football world and beyond.

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