Michigan signs 8 year deal with adidas

[Moodini31]

Goodbye Nike - hello adidas.

Michigan athletic director Bill Martin announced a surprising parting of the ways with the former and new collaboration with the latter on July 10, an agreement in which adidas will supply footwear and apparel for all 25 of the university's athletic teams.

The new agreement begins with the 2008-09 academic year and extends through the 2016-17 season. The agreement is valued at $7.5 million annually in cash and merchandise over the eight-year period.

"We are excited and proud of our new collaboration with adidas," Martin said in a statement. "adidas will outfit our student-athletes and teams from head to toe, while providing additional resources for our athletic department. The quality of adidas' product and their dedication to service, on-site and to all of our teams, makes adidas a terrific partner for us."

U-M teams will start wearing adidas footwear, uniforms, training apparel and accessories exclusively in 2008, joining Notre Dame, UCLA, Tennessee, Indiana, Nebraska and Wisconsin, among others in partnering with the sporting goods giant.

"The partnership between adidas and Michigan brings together two powerful brands that both stand for performance and excellence," Martyn Brewer, Head of US Sports Marketing for adidas, told MgoBlue.com. "Michigan is a marquis program and we are honored to add a university so rich in tradition to the adidas family of schools."

Added U-M athletics Chief Financial Officer Jason Winters: "We believe the new partnership is one of the strongest in college sports. Funding from the new agreement will provide added resources to our long term facility renewal plan."

This is absolutely terrible news. I am a huge Nike supporter and they clearly make the best of the best from their shoes, shirts, hats and their innovative technology such as Dri-fit, tighter fitting uniforms, and their new iPod technology. To me, adidas' gear looks cheaper an nowhere near as good looking as Nike's. I told Tre last night, I'd much rather us lose McGuffie than sign a deal with adidas. I can't buy any new Michigan gear until 2017. YUCK!

[bball11]

Like I said in the Crisler thread they gave up the legacy of Fab Five and black Nike's, which is shit, now Michigan's percentage of white recruits will go up. Maybe they should have signed a deal with Jordan, then maybe they will get some talent.

[Artermis]

Umm no about Nike. If you have a slender foot of a girl than I guess you might be right, but for guys like me with wide feet, well Nike sucks.

Also I hate the piping that has come on the UM uniforms because of Nike.

To be honest the only thing that makes me happy is the extra money. I guess I am a whore for thinking like that, but I dont really buy anything because it is made by someone in particular. if I like it, I buy it no matter who makes it.

[Artermis]

If we really want to say who I wanted to get the contract, it would have been Under Armor. Much better than Nike anyways.

But again, I buy stuff for the block M not the swoosh. Nike and now Adias support UM, not UM supports Nike.

[Glenn]

I had no idea people cared about this stuff.

[Baker]

No offense to anyone here, but if somebody doesn't like Nike and their gear, then it says something about your personal style. I'm not trying to go fashion here because we are a bunch of dudes, BUT there is a BIG difference between Nike uniforms, gear, etc. and everything else out there. There is a reason why the ballers have been rocking Jordan's since the mid 80's and there is a reason why the "Fab" Five started an athletic fashion revolution based on Nike gear- It's hands down the best. I always laugh when I open up Eastbay and there is the 5 page Nike spread and then the 1 inch addidas section with the sorry ass Wisconsin Uni's.

Now maybe you're one of these guys that could give a shit and wears the obnoxious Michigan hat with the Meijer maize and blue T because it's got your damn team on it and you could give a shit about name brands-fine. But, I'm telling you right now, it matters to recruits. You don't think the Carolina blue Nike/Jordan uniforms appeal to recruits? Switch em up to Addidas and see how sales plummet.

Maybe you're one of the good ole boys that doesn't give a shit about what teams wear, understandable. But to the rest of us that like rocking tight team gear and to the recruits that want to do the same, this a huge deal.

HORRIBLE DECISION.

For those that say, look at how much more money they received-wait and see how Michigan apparal plummets in sales now. There won't be as much around because addidas doesn't make much team gear and the ballers won't be buying any of it anymore because they buy it for the look, not the team. In the long run, they'll lose money. 2017 LOL

[Zip Goshboots]

No offense to anyone here, but if somebody doesn't like Nike and their gear, then it says something about your personal style. I'm not trying to go fashion here because we are a bunch of dudes, BUT there is a BIG difference between Nike uniforms, gear, etc. and everything else out there. There is a reason why the ballers have been rocking Jordan's since the mid 80's and there is a reason why the "Fab" Five started an athletic fashion revolution based on Nike gear- It's hands down the best. I always laugh when I open up Eastbay and there is the 5 page Nike spread and then the 1 inch addidas section with the sorry ass Wisconsin Uni's.

Now maybe you're one of these guys that could give a shit and wears the obnoxious Michigan hat with the Meijer maize and blue T because it's got your damn team on it and you could give a shit about name brands-fine. But, I'm telling you right now, it matters to recruits. You don't think the Carolina blue Nike/Jordan uniforms appeal to recruits? Switch em up to Addidas and see how sales plummet.

Maybe you're one of the good ole boys that doesn't give a shit about what teams wear, understandable. But to the rest of us that like rocking tight team gear and to the recruits that want to do the same, this a huge deal.

HORRIBLE DECISION.

For those that say, look at how much more money they received-wait and see how Michigan apparal plummets in sales now. There won't be as much around because addidas doesn't make much team gear and the ballers won't be buying any of it anymore because they buy it for the look, not the team. In the long run, they'll lose money. 2017 LOL

Damn, all Michigan has to do is read this board and get ALL the answers.
Did Nike write "The Victors"? Did they invent "The Helmet"?
Geezus, your animosity is so high you write a half page post on something like this as a thinly veiled attempt to spew more garbage and rhetoric.
If someone is dopey enough to spend sixty bucks to wear some team jersey, they're probably dopey enough not to notice that the insignia has changed.

[Glenn]

But, I'm telling you right now, it matters to recruits.

[Glenn]

HORRIBLE DECISION.

Okay, now that this discussion is several weeks old, can you (Tre) explain again why this was such a "horrible decision"? You've changed positions a few times so let's get it out on the table all nice and clear.

Save the insults for one post, um-k?

[Baker]

Okay, now that this discussion is several weeks old, can you (Tre) explain again why this was such a "horrible decision"? You've changed positions a few times so let's get it out on the table all nice and clear.

Save the insults for one post, um-k?

I NEVER CHANGED MY POSITION ONCE. I'm sorry if this comes acrossed as an insult, but when you ask me to explain my stance when I've done so 4-5 times, I question intelligence.

Lets explain it again. I believe Nike makes the best stuff out there. Nike is the best in regards to sports technology, apparel, unis, advertising, etc. etc. There is no questioning Nike being the king company in sports. When you go with Nike, they provide you with a great look that appeals to the under 30 age bracket.

For the under 30 fans out there, this was a HORRIBLE DECISION. I'm 26. So to me, and moodini, and bball11, etc. this was a horrible decision. Why? You want your team looking great and you want to be able to buy great team apparel.

Now I said that Nike can effect the appeal of your university because of the look they provide. Do looks matter to high schoolers? Do I have to answer that? So can a look make your university more appealing to recruits? yes. For those of you that jump to conclusions, let's answer the jumping to conclusions questions once more:

>Will a recruit not come to Michigan now that they are with Addidas? No
>Will Michigan now suck because they don't have a swoosh on their uni? No
>Is this a "HUGE DEAL?" Let me carefully explain so you don't think I'm "changing my stance." No in regards to overall performace, grand scheme of things, etc. etc. Huge deal for younger guys like Moodini and I that want to rock the great gear and have our teams look tight? Yup.

Do you understand my take after 15 paragraphs now?