Rumor: Nike looking to be next Michigan outfitter

Submitted by DISCUSS Man on

Apparently this guy is an MLive writer. Rumor that i've just heard of. If so whoawhoawhoa.

 

Hearing that Nike may be Michigan's new sponsor.

— Mark Cavitt (@DeportesAddict) December 24, 2014

TheDirtyD

December 24th, 2014 at 2:04 PM ^

Nike is the primary sponsor of most elite AAU teams and some high school teams. Nike threatens to take away some of the benefits if a player commits to a non-Nike university. So the kid feels influenced because he wants his team to continue getting the endorsements for obvious reasons.

Mr. Yost

December 24th, 2014 at 5:03 PM ^

Rick Pitino complains about it ALL the time. Especially with Nike Basketball U Kentucky just an hour away.

It definitely hurts.

Nike is simply the way to go when it comes to basketball and landing the top prospects. Not always, not even the majority of the time. But it definitely helps in certain cases.

Google: Pitino Nike and then look at all the articles that pop up...

 

aplatypus

December 24th, 2014 at 3:15 PM ^

5 star kid that plays for a Nike AAU team. 

Visited Louisville and loved it, eventually committed and said that even after all of his other visits he knew Louisville was the only place he wanted to go and he'd wanted to commit for over a month. 

Nike is like ... nah dude, you can't commit to an adidas school this early. They threatened him with the dissolvement of his AAU team and basically said if he stayed committed to Louisville it would negatively affect all of his friends/teammates, the AAU coach, and the other people that helped support him to that point. They also made sure he wouldn't get to do any of the high school all-american type things like McDonald's AA and Jordan Jamfest or whatever it's called. 

He eventually buckles and decommits, now only considering big Nike funded schools like Oregon, LSU and Kentucky. 

814 East U

December 24th, 2014 at 12:55 PM ^

Harbaugh here, Narduzzi gone, Nike may come...how many people were sacrificed to the football gods? or was it our misery for the last 7 years and now its okay to be good again?

Tater

December 24th, 2014 at 1:11 PM ^

If you are using the circles of hell, 2007 counts, too.  I'm not so sure 2006 doesn't count, with the disappointing loss to OSU and the beatdown from USC in the Rose Bowl ruining what could have been a National Championship year.

I think we should count both of those years and say the cycle has been fulfilled.

Auerbach

December 24th, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^

Current Adidas contract goes through 7/31/2016. Its gonna be a while before you see our boys sporting anything other than Adidas.



But yes, once the contract is up, please, Hacket, PLEASE drop Adidas and sign with either Nike or UA.

OccaM

December 24th, 2014 at 1:00 PM ^

Ehhh as much as I would love to have actual Maize back as opposed to Sun Yellow... I'm wary of all the alternates that Nike does. 

 

Unless we get a deal like Alabama. 

I personally think the Adidas basketball unis > Nike's. Just my preference tho. 

Everyone Murders

December 24th, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^

Not criticizing the OP, but any time an apparel contract like Michigan's is about to expire, the major players will come calling.  So it's not really surprising that Nike would enter the bidding.

I'd expect Nike, Adidas and UA to be the main competitors.  UA scares me the most, because their stuff is generally garish and IIRC Tom Brady owns a piece of the company in exchange for his endorsement.

snarling wolverine

December 24th, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^

Are they going to give us a market-level deal?  I'm fine with this if they want to give us Addias-level money, but not for a cutrate amount.  We signed with Adidas in the first place because Nike wouldn't come close to what they offered.