What Utah Utes Fans Should Expect From Adidas Deal
Just over two weeks ago, we learned that the University of Utah and Under Armour were amicably parting ways at the end of their contract on June 30, 2027. As we expected, Utah Athletics has announced a partnership with adidas.
The seven-year agreement makes adidas the official footwear, uniform, apparel, and sideline partner of the Utes beginning with the 2027-28 school year. The agreement is effective July 1, 2027. The financial terms of the agreement have not yet been reported.
Overall, it is an upgrade for Utah — but not in every category. Below is a breakdown of what Utes fans should expect.
Upgrade: Footwear
Let's start with a fun and easy topic. The Utes' footwear is about to go off the charts. Under Armour basketball has lost Stephen Curry and Kelsey Plum in the past year — and neither of those two stars could make UA cool with the younger generation.
On the basketball floor, expect to see adidas shoes from James Harden, Anthony Edwards, Donovan Mitchell, and more. Adidas Dugout (softball and baseball) and football cleats bring excitement with the Adizero line and collaborations between Travis Hunter and Anthony Edwards.
Meanwhile, adidas running shoes are beyond reproach. As someone who has covered the footwear industry for years, this is a clear upgrade for Utah.
Downgrade: Uniforms
One thing Under Armour does really well is design cool uniforms. Whether classic looks like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish or edgy aesthetics like the Maryland Terrapins, Under Armour does it right across all sports. Show me a bad Under Armour uniform, I'll wait.
Meanwhile, you're playing with fire when it comes to adidas uniforms. They're coming off a couple of rough decades in college uniforms (remember the barbed wire look on the UCLA Bruins?).
Just as I thought they started pulling it together with the Washington Huskies and sweet Texas A&M throwbacks, they unveiled new uniforms for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, which have been universally panned. It will be hard for adidas to top what Under Armour did for Utah's uniforms in the post-Nike era.
And that's just football. Adidas goes extra bold with its basketball uniforms. In February, some programs get amazing Black History Month uniforms.
Then March rolls around, and fans get blasted with wild designs ranging from 2013's Zubaz-inspired threads to Fear of God collaborations that almost caused a mutiny in Bloomington (the adidas x Fear of God partnership is winding down, though).
Upgrade: NIL Opportunities
The NIL opportunities adidas brings to the school are a major selling point. As Utah Athletics mentioned in the press release, Utah will be prioritizing high-impact NIL opportunities for student-athletes across all 19 of the university's varsity programs. NIL is the name of the game in the NCAA, and adidas is arguably the best at it.
Downgrade: Attention
Utah went from being one of a handful of major Under Armour partner programs in the Power 5 (and the only Big 12 school) to one of 37 schools in the adidas portfolio. Moreover, adidas just signed the Tennessee Volunteers and Penn State Nittany Lions to massive contracts. Utah will not be as high a priority for adidas as it was for Under Armour.
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Pat Benson covers team uniforms and player apparel for Jerseys On Sports Illustrated. Pat is a trusted voice for fans, regularly breaking news, spotlighting important stories, and interviewing the biggest names in sports. Pat also covers the footwear industry and has authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020." You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.
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