#DripU debate💧: Nike or Adidas? Examining the options and optics for UCF's new apparel deal
UCF's contract with Nike is up in 2022 and rumors are the Knights could switch to Adidas, but would it be a good move, even if there's more money at stake?
I’ll admit, I had no idea who Chase Stokes was before last Saturday’s game (I know, that’s on me), but I started watching ‘Outer Banks’ on Netflix and it’s pretty good. He shot his shot with Hollywood agents, landing a spot on the popular series. Charge On, Chase.
Today’s read is 5 minutes ⏲️
Trending in the Kingdom: Swap Nike for Adidas? 💧💰
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Knight Nation this divided. The #DripU debate has taken over #UCFTwitter, with heated takes on the future of UCF’s apparel.
Here’s the scoop: A rumor was dropped on UCFSports.com that UCF could swap apparel companies when its deal with Nike expires after 2022. There’s talk that Adidas could replace Nike as UCF’s apparel partner and that there’s been initial discussions.
📅 To be clear, nothing is expected to happen before 2022, but if there is some truth to this rumor, it wouldn’t be the first time the Knights have partnered with Adidas, and the last breakup wasn’t pretty.
Here’s a few nuggets on the previous partnership, per a timeline from the Orlando Sentinel.
UCF agreed to its first exclusive full-apparel contract with Adidas on July 1, 2002 and the deal was extended through June 2010. It was rumored to be worth $3 million.
Adidas officials were irked in April of 2009 when UCF basketball freshman Marcus Jordan, the son of Michael Jordan, said he was going to wear his father’s Jordan brand sneakers at UCF. The Sentinel reported Adidas sales reps said he’d be given an exemption, but company officials weren’t pleased and informed Jordan he would have to wear Adidas.
In November of 2009, Jordan wore a pair of white Air Jordan’s with no obvious logos during a UCF game, but that didn’t fly with Adidas, who abruptly ended their apparel deal with UCF.
👟 Following the Jordan controversy, in March of 2010, UCF officially became a Nike school, with the company providing shoes and apparel for all sports. That deal was extended in 2016. I wrote in a previous newsletter about UCF’s history as #DripU, how the Nike uniform makeover came to be and the assist from former coach Scott Frost given his friendship with Nike founder Phil Knight.
🚀 UCF’s rise to the Big 12 conference should net them a higher payout from their next apparel deal, so this could come down to the highest bidder.
Relationships also matter, and UCF Athletic Director Terry Mohajir helped Arkansas State land a seven-year partnership with Adidas in 2016, which was the most lucrative apparel-based contract in school history.
Let’s be clear: UCF will have options. Not only will Nike try to retain UCF, but Adidas and Under Armour will make bids as well.
Bigger pay day 💰: In an analysis from 2017, the cash and value of apparel provided to Power Five institutions averaged $4.49 million, compared to $850,556 for Group of Five schools. Yeah, UCF is going to get a hefty raise.
Nike’s dominance 👕
There’s a clear tilt towards Nike in the athletics apparel game, with the swoosh dominating the total number of apparel deals and having the advantage in terms of the elite programs in college football.
Now, this data from Football Scoop is outdated by about two years, but it does paint an overall picture by brand:
FBS
Nike - 69 (53.1%)
Adidas - 39 (30%)
Under Armour - 22 (16.9%)
Power 5 Breakdown
Nike - 42 (64.6%)
Adidas - 12 (18.5%)
Under Armour - 11 (16.9%)
Group of 5 Breakdown
Nike - 27 (41.5%)
Adidas - 27 (41.5%)
Under Armour - 11 (16.9%)
Again, there’s been some recent swaps, and UCLA just became the latest program to opt for Nike after what was a massive, $12.76M annual payout from Under Armour.
Sportico reports the deal will pay the university less than half of what the school was owed per year under its prior agreement with Under Armour, which was terminated, but that’s more due to restructuring and a shift in marketing focus for UA.
The company is also paying a hefty exit fee to get out of their contract with Cincinnati, which expires in 2024.
Cal also just split with Under Armour, which led to a huge legal dispute.
🏆 In terms of championships, Nike brands have swept the College Football Playoff titles since 2014, with Alabama, LSU, Clemson and Ohio State (Yes, UCF as well) all rocking the swoosh.
Since 2000, the only non-Nike school to win a national championship was Auburn (Under Armour) in 2010.
According to that 2017-18 Intercollegiate Apparel Agreement Report that looked at FBS apparel, licensing, and sponsorship agreements with Adidas, Nike, Russell Athletic, and Under Armour, the Big 12 actually had the highest average apparel payment of any Power 5 conference:
Big 12 Conference: $4.99 million
Pac-12 Conference: $4.76 million
Big Ten Conference: $4.66 million
Southeastern Conference: $4.36 million
Atlantic Coast Conference: $3.72 million
Here’s the top 10 apparel agreement payments from the 2017-18 year:
UCLA, $16.5 million - Under Armour
Texas, $11.9 million - Nike
Michigan, $9.8 million - Nike
Wisconsin, $9.1 million - Under Armour
Louisville, $7.5 million - Adidas
Texas A&M, $6.8 million - Adidas
South Carolina, $6.7 million - Under Armour
Kansas, $6.6 million - Adidas
Auburn, $6.4 million - Under Armour
Ohio State, $6.3 million - Nike
Brands (aka Nike) matter in recruiting 👀
Finances will be a pretty important factor here, but what about the value to recruiting? According to a study from The Huffington Post back in 2015, recruits seem to be more drawn to Nike-affiliated schools.
Keep in mind, two of the biggest apparel-sponsored recruiting events on the planet are The Opening 7-on-7 invitational and the Elite 11 competition, both affiliated with Nike.
Nike is heavily favored ✔️: According to the 2015 report, Nike was the clear favorite among football recruits with 73 percent picking the swoosh as their preferred sports apparel company.
Under Armour came in second at 16 percent
Adidas finished third at 7 percent
New Balance, Reebok and a few others received an even lower percentage of votes
These brands matter for recruiting, especially in a dominant social media age where optics are everything. UCF’s affiliation with Nike and the 64 different uniform combinations available to them help on the recruiting trail.
The school had a direct hand in designing the Space Uniforms, so those would stay no matter which apparel company they move forward with, but can Adidas match the variety that Nike brings to the table?
Adidas making a strong 💰 push 👀
We’ve seen blockbuster deals in the college apparel game in recent years, not many bigger than $160 million Adidas gave Louisville in 2017 to renew a sponsorship that began in 1998. That’s just one of a few massive deals they signed in recent years:
Kansas renewed a partnership with Adidas in 2019 for a reported total of $196 million, including $14 million per year.
Nebraska's board of regents in 2017 approved the school's 11-year, $128-million extension with Adidas.
Washington (10 years, $120 million), Miami (12 years, $93.6 million) and Texas A&M (eight years, $56.8 million) also have massive deals.
Boston College recently left Under Armour and landed a football-only deal from Adidas. They became the fifth ACC program to sign with the stripes, joining Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami and NC State.
👑 So yes, it feels like Adidas is coming for the crown, pulling away some of Nike’s most loyal brands with lucrative contracts. Could UCF be next in line? If there’s a $100 million dollar deal on the table, it’ll be hard for Mohajir to turn down, even if Nike still reigns supreme in the sport.
🗳️ By the way, I asked you guys for your thought on Twitter. After 555 votes, Nike won the poll by a comfortable margin, 60-40, over Adidas.
It’ll be fun to watch the Nike vs. Adidas rivalry in primetime on Friday night as UCF (Nike) takes on Louisville (Adidas). Both teams revealed their threads for the ESPN game. UCF is rocking the all-whites, while the Cards went red and black from head-to-toe. Which ones look better? You be the judge.
In the end, money talks in the apparel game, right? That could be the difference next year when UCF has to decide who takes over providing the swag for #DripU.