UM possibly making the switch from Adidas to Nike?
Here's a Freep article discussing the possibility of Michigan realigning it's brand with that of Nike. Good news for those of us who have been alienated by Adidas's and their past offerings such as the horrid Bumble bee jersey fiasco... I still cringe when I see those things (scratches arms like a crack head).
I don't know how likely this transition is, but I can't help but to wonder whether or not this news will effect Michigan's standing with perennial 5 star bb recruit Jaylen Brown, who recently made a statement that he was definitely going to an Adidas school! I've had a few conversations with JB and happen to know for a fact Michigan is a legitimate front runner for this kid! However this news can't hurt Kentucky's chances who I believe is right there with Michigan.
I don't know how much stock these kids put into any particular athletic brands when making these decisions, although I would imagine that with the potential sponsorship dynamic at play it definitely factors. Who knows, maybe Michigan and the greatness of Beilein will win out!
Link: http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverine…
thanks
I mean I don't care what we wear as long as we win. I have Michigan gear from both companies that I like.
All my replacement gear has been purchased from Moe's and is (depending on the piece, either 100% or 80% cotton / 20% polyester) Champion apparrel. I refuse to spend a single additional dollar on Adidas gear. Most of it is polyester garbage.
Yes, I realize Nike puts out a ton of polyester stuff, too. But the shoes are a night and day difference, and Nike's high-end cotton stuff is well made.
With the handful of fans I've talked to this about, they are waiting to purchase replacement apparel until we switch back to Nike.
Apparel sales are down, I leave it to the board to dilineate how much of that is the on-field product, and how much of that is dissatisfaction with Adidas. If Nike could give us 4 million (just below FSU's contract), I think the increase in sales from the pent-up demand could more than make up the difference.
Why in the H%## would Michigan take less than FSU? Michigan should be way north of FSU.
Umm, Michigan is way north of FSU
I really dont care for their basketball jerseys that has all the hoopla on the back, but Adidas b-ball jerseys are not that much better. That said, I do prefer Nike over Adidas for the football jerseys.
Adidas pays Michigan twice as much as the highest paid Nike school. If Nike ponies up the same amount as Adidas or more, I say make the switch. But if Nike (or UA) is only going to offer $4.2M instead of the $8.2M that Adidas pays, the decision isn't so easy for me. As others have said, the uniform designs are ultimately up to the schools, not the manufacturer. The bumble-bee unis were Dave Brandon's fault, not Adidas'. Do I shave half my revenue from an apparel deal because I want a swoosh instead of a three-bar triangle? Dunno.
The switch in color happened because it "popped" more on hdtv, not because Adidas can't figure out how to make something maize. Anyone looking at OSU's uniforms over the last couple years knows Nike can make shit uniforms for big time programs.
And apparel sales are entirely tied to winning. It is hilarious to me that anyone thinks switching to Nike could make up a 4 million dollar difference annually. Winning could but that has nothing to do with apparel. Take whoever pays the most money, it could be Puma for all I care.
Maize was gone long before nike was.
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The Adidas basketball jerseys haven't been terrible (except for whatever ungodly concoction we wore in the BTT this year), but the football uniforms have just been....well....not good. The 2011 MSU and 2012 Alabama jerseys were atrocious. But then again, so were those games, so maybe that's what I'm mad about.
I mean honestly, if we go back to Nike or stay with Adidas, it's not going to make or break my day. As long as the teams win, I don't really care.
And can someone please explain to me why Jaylen Brown says he will only go to an Adidas school? I don't want to sound like I'm calling the kid out, maybe he has a very legitimate reason. On a surface level, however, it does not sound like a good reason to choose a school.
The Adidas basketball jerseys haven't been terrible (except for whatever ungodly concoction we wore in the BTT this year), but the football uniforms have just been....well....not good. The 2011 MSU and 2012 Alabama jerseys were atrocious.
Guess what? UM approved all of those designs. It is more of a Dave Brandon issue than an Adidas issue.
Ho win the WORLD have you been alienated by Adidas? Do you even know what that word means?
Also, just because Nike owns the color NAME "maize" doesn't mean it is substantially differenet from what we have been using with Adidas. I have many Nike products from late 90s through 2007 that have the exact same colors as Adidas stuff from the past 7 years. Nike doesn't own a copyright on any color, just the name of the color.
If we really want to "go back to what Michigan is supposed to look like", let's sign a contract with Russell Athletics, who supplied the jerseys prior to 1995.
I was told by a contact at Nike that part of the fallout with Michigan (back when we switched) was that UM wasn't willing to have contract language about "non-spatting" shoes.
Well that and Adidas was willing pony up a huge apparel contract in order to expand in North America. UM has more leverage when negotiating with Adidas than Nike because Adidas needs us in NA while Nike doesn't.
"We've organized -- this is a secret -- a project team to look at the question of, there's really three players: Adidas, Under Armour and Nike."
Not anymore
It would not be a wash for basketball if Michigan makes a change. A Nike contract would mean increased access to top recruits. Nike probably holds 80% of the market for these top clubs while there are a few who play with Adidas.
are the best ball shoe I've ever had - and I've had a large many.
Never tried another UA shoe, but they are fantastic.
The uni's are what the AD approves...
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Woah
What people fail to realize is that the UM athletic depart approves of everything before the teams wear it. It wasn't like Adidas forced us to wear the bumblebee jerseys. Dave Brandon put us in those to counter the Nike Black and Bronze look MSU wore against us in that game.
Yes a few people keep bringing this up. But on the other end of the spectrum, do you not think Adidas gave the AD a few options to choose from?? And if the ones chosen were the best options, then that does directly reflect on terrible Adidas designs. Now i can't argue with the point that the AD should have said "Thanks, but no thanks" to several of the alternates. LIke many have said on here, Indiana (basketball at least) and Alabama football have done a nice job of keeping the apparel companies from fucking up their classic uniforms. On top of that, the fan wear that Adidas seems to come out with ( at least what i see in Wolverine Devotees "new michigan gear" treads) always look like shit. I rarely see anything that i'd want to buy.
Like you said, If you don't like your alternate options just say no. Unfortunately what the AD views as the best option might not be what you view as the best option. Maybe the AD said no to a design you would have loved.
If you think the Adidas michigan gear looks like shit then don't buy it, go buy from Moe's.
I guess i'm kind of a rarity in the fan circle. Been a Michigan fan for almost 30 years, but currently i own only 1 Michigan shirt and 1 pair of michigan sleeping pants. I just don't wear team gear much.
If Nike wants to offer up a substantial amount of money then yes feel free to change, BUT remember that Adidas offers us a ton of money and made us there flagship school for the last 8yrs or so and we shouldn't forget that. If Adidas wants to keep us you know damn well they will be offering up as much as AU offered ND and more. I like NIKE to but I remember how this went down last time and some here don't. NIKE basically gave us the finger IMO.
Champion and Russell Athletic gear and take a nap.
The best I can come up with is it is a bunch of people who were at UM between '90 and '07 who have a nostalgic opinion on Nike and subconsiously associate Nike with Michigan dominance in that era.
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