5 Hot Takes on Ole Miss Leaving Nike for Adidas

The Ole Miss Rebels have a bye week in football, but they are still grabbing headlines in the college and sports apparel worlds. After weeks of rumors, Brett McMurphy of On3 reported that Ole Miss has agreed to a new contract with adidas.

The partnership will officially launch in July 2027. The contract is reportedly for seven years and worth $20 million annually ($140 million total). Nike's contract with the University of Mississippi officially ends in June 2027. The two parties have worked together since 1999.

We are still waiting on Ole Miss and Adidas to announce the deal. But as always in sports and business, sports apparel deals are a zero-sum game. There are winners and losers. Below are five hot takes from Ole Miss's move to Adidas.

More Significant Role in SEC

Ole Miss becomes fourth adidas school in SEC. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This move raises Ole Miss's status in the SEC. The school becomes just the fourth adidas school in the conference, after being one of 14 Nike schools. That instantly means more attention for the Rebels. Ask Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Mississippi State how that has worked out so far. Adidas goes the extra mile to make sure its teams and fans look good in the SEC.

New Uniforms Could Be Good or Bad

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss looks to throw a pass. — Ole Miss Rebels uniforms will change across sports. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Every team will get new uniforms. That could be good or bad. Tennessee and Penn State moved from Nike to Adidas this year and kept or slightly improved their uniforms. Meanwhile, Nebraska has been an Adidas school for many years, but their new football uniforms are not great. Each of those three athletic departments maintained creative control during the design process.

Ole Miss Benefited From Miami

Nike and the University of Miami logos. — Nike and the University of Miami have reunited a multi-year partnership. | Nike

Miami is leaving Adidas for Nike this summer. The deal is for 10 years and $200 million. After losing Miami, Adidas gained the financial flexibility to pursue Ole Miss. Or perhaps this was part of a larger strategy - we'll never know. Either way, Ole Miss certainly benefited from Miami leaving Adidas.

Adidas Takes Over Mississippi

A Mississippi State Bulldogs football player celebrates. — The Mississippi State Bulldogs are an adidas partner school. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Adidas not only expands its footprint in the most important conference in college sports, but it also takes over the entire state of Mississippi. There could be some hard feelings about joining your rival's brand or vice versa. But we're confident that Adidas will do a good job for both programs.

NIL Will Change

Ole Miss Rebels fans wear team gear. — Some of the Ole Miss Rebels' NIL contracts could change. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Uniforms and fan apparel are great, but only if your team is winning. So much of that relies on the school's NIL program. Luckily, adidas excels in that space. But switching from Nike to adidas still has consequences for NIL deals, recruiting pipelines, and more. This was a bold move, and it will impact future student-athletes.

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