Washington switches from Nike to Adidas
Washington announced Tuesday it will switch its apparel partnership from Nike to Adidas, effective July 1 of next year.
Washington had been a Nike client for the past two decades, earning $3.5 million in apparel and cash per year over the past decade. The new Adidas deal will pay the school $5.275 million in cash, $5.58 million in apparel and $1.1 million in marketing per year as part of a 10-year, $119 million deal, according to
Adam Jude of The Seattle Times.
“We believe this partnership will allow us to provide a new competitive edge to our coaches, student-athletes and our incredible fan base,” Washington AD Jennifer Cohen said in a statement. “As we researched adidas’ college partnerships, we were extremely impressed with their product innovation, global brand significance, and most of all the depth of service and attention they provide to their partner schools. After meeting with their leadership team, it was clear that adidas understands what makes Washington special and I believe their passion for this partnership will resonate deeply with all who call themselves Huskies.”
Washington will become the first Pac-12 North school and second Pac-12 school (Arizona State being the other) to wear Adidas. In addition to representing a raise, switching from Nike to Adidas also makes cultural sense for Washington, since the Huskies’ archrival is Nike’s poster child.
The Huskies’ football uniforms could use a refresh from the Three Stripes, as the current look has evolved into a mish mash of clashing elements. Washington’s classic “W” logo does not jive with the modern uniform font, the gold pants clash with the gold helmets and the black on the sleeves serves no apparent purpose beyond simply having black on the uniform.