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University of Miami Announces 12-Year Apparel Deal with Adidas
January 8, 2015
The University of Miami has a new merchandise deal with Adidas, reportedly for 12 years and a substantial sum of money.
According to a tweet from Adidas Football, the deal between Adidas and the university will begin this September:
In an ESPN.com article, a person speaking on conditions of anonymity since official financial terms are not being made public told the Associated Press that this "deal is worth 'multiple times' more than Miami's previous arrangement with Nike."
Also in the ESPN report, Miami athletic director Blake James praised the work Nike has done with the Hurricanes over the years before deciding that Adidas was the best match for the program going forward:
Credit to Nike, they've done an incredible job of creating as strong of a brand as there is in the country and probably worldwide. They have done a great job of promoting their product and we looked at all variables when deciding who was the best partner for us going forward. After that analysis, we determined Adidas was the best fit.
Former University of Miami tight end and current New Orleans Saints star Jimmy Graham shared his excitement about the new deal, via Michael Ehrlich of Adidas public relations:
Former Hurricane Santana Moss will also get new custom cleats, according to Miami's recruiting Twitter feed:
Nike has been the official sponsor for the University of Miami since 1987, a landmark deal at the time as the Hurricanes became the first college to have an all-sports contract with one partner, per Matt Porter of The Palm Beach Post.
However, Porter's report also noted there seemed to be a shift in the relationship as Adidas and Under Armour submitted bids to become the official sponsor of the school's athletic apparel and the two offers were "believed to be several million dollars per year richer" than what Nike was paying.
The Hurricanes have been an institution in the sports apparel arena for decades, thanks to the relationship with Nike. The football program hasn't been as successful in recent years, though it remains one of the most visible brands in college sports.
Adidas' new deal seems likely to enhance that brand, as evidenced by the merchandise shown in the tweets. September will see the official launch of the Hurricanes' merchandise, so expect a long line of fans to be ready with their wallets open.