Expect these types of deals to become the norm, too, as universities seek every competitive advantage against one another.

Univ. of Tennessee athletics will switch from Nike to Adidas in 2026 as its official apparel supplier in a blockbuster 10-year deal that plans to make the Vols the brand’s flagship college program while paying its athletes for their name,

In its announcement, Tennessee said that Adidas would provide "unprecedented" NIL opportunities for athletes across all 20 of the school's varsity sports. In fact, Adidas will immediately start working toward securing NIL deals with Tennessee athletes during the 2025-26 athletic season.