Miami athletics returns to Nike in record-setting deal

Sebastian Font

Today at 12:22 PM 3 min read

Originally from The Miami Hurricane

Miami athletics has returned to Nike as the program’s apparel sponsor, agreeing to a lucrative 10-year contract worth more than $200 million.

Nike was the apparel sponsor of the Hurricanes from 1987-2015, before the University made an unprecedented decision to sign with Adidas.

Now, Miami is back wearing the iconic swoosh.

Miami found themselves in a strong negotiating position following its national championship appearance, also coming off the footsteps of other premier programs signing apparel deals.

Adidas put pen to paper with Penn State on July 1, in a 10-year, $300 million dollar deal, and agreed to a 10-year, $100 million deal with the University of Tennessee the next day.

With the bar set high, UM went into negotiations with the upper hand and found that Adidas was unwilling to match Nike’s offer according to reports.

The deal marks a role reversal from when Miami was last in apparel negotiations 12 years ago. Nike was unwilling to match Adidas’ offer in 2015, leading to the longstanding Adidas partnership the University had until now.

The offer reportedly puts Miami as the second-highest collegiate investment from Nike, just behind Oregon, where the apparel giant was founded.

UM was in the midst of a 12-year deal partnership with Adidas, set to expire in 2027. The agreement was the longest-standing collegiate partnership in Adidas history — also the first all-sport apparel partnership the company had with a top program.

Adidas had spent the last decade investing in South Florida sports, from high school all the way to Universities.

South Florida talents such as Malachi Toney, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Miami recruits A’mir Sears and Nick Lennear all signed with the three stripes within the last year.

In 2025, Adidas signed a five-year, $13.5 million deal to outfit all 41 of Miami-Dade County High Schools’ athletics uniforms, cementing itself as the leading athletic apparel company in the greater Miami area.

But while UM and Adidas have been great partners for more than a decade, UM and Nike have historic ties.

Miami’s original partnership with Nike marked the first all-sports apparel contract in collegiate history, and continued for four of UM’s national titles in football (1987, 1989, 1999, 2001) and two in baseball (1999, 2001).

The Hurricanes join South Carolina as Power Four programs to sign with Nike in the past year, with the decision set to take effect when Adidas’ deal expires next July ahead of the 2027 athletic season.

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Comments (543)

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CanesFan20

Today at 11:28 AM

Price of the brick is going up

S
skyman

Today at 11:28 AM

@Rellyrell @TheOriginalCane

Captain America Avengers GIF by Marvel Studios

AUcane

Today at 11:28 AM

And we still have yet to sign a patch deal?? oh my goodne$$

Fart Keyhole

Today at 11:30 AM

AUcane said:
And we still have yet to sign a patch deal?? oh my goodne$$

Can we get an Adidas patch deal? $10 million per year.

Today at 11:30 AM

Excited to get our proper shade of green back

OriginalCanesCanesCanes

Today at 11:30 AM

OrangeBowlMagic said:
Bro.....a little, irrelevant private school in Coral Gables securing the largest apparel deal in the history of the sport.

We're all homers around here, and that's cool. But I'm gonna spit facts: literally NOBODY moves the needle like The U. Nobody in America.

What was Mario's line at the introductory press conference? Something like "When The U is on, there's nothing like it" ??

He ain't lying. When we're right, it's the preeminent brand in the sport. Good lord, what the **** is happening in the last 3+ years? $40M rosters, $20M annual apparel deals, just please don't wake me up. I could legit cry right now, and **** you, Mario. I'm not listening to your **** anymore. Miami isn't just here, Miami is BACK.

Isn’t the PSU deal 300 million for 10 years?

JayCane20

Today at 11:30 AM

Joe E definitely runs a far more professional organization across the board with the way he handles (seemingly) everything. Hasn't missed yet.

What a breath of fresh air.

D
dolemite79

Today at 11:31 AM

JayCane20 said:
Joe E definitely runs a far more professional organization across the board with the way he handles (seemingly) everything. Hasn't missed yet.

What a breath of fresh air.

Still needs to get us through the biggest hurdle but here's to hopping

TheOriginalCane

Today at 11:31 AM

OriginalCanesCanesCanes said:
I thought the people in the know were saying Adidas was a done deal.

Start your moonwalking CIS experts.

Never change CIS.

View attachment 373002

I definitely thought it was over. I was told by MANY people at Miami that Nike wasn't offering up the big cash.

This just goes to show what a CFP Championship run can do for you...

And now I'm DEFINITELY NOT buying the adidas 2001 throwback jersey...

ShadowSpring

Today at 11:32 AM

OrangeBowlMagic said:
Bro.....a little, irrelevant private school in Coral Gables securing the largest apparel deal in the history of the sport.

We're all homers around here, and that's cool. But I'm gonna spit facts: literally NOBODY moves the needle like The U. Nobody in America.

What was Mario's line at the introductory press conference? Something like "When The U is on, there's nothing like it" ??

He ain't lying. When we're right, it's the preeminent brand in the sport. Good lord, what the **** is happening in the last 3+ years? $40M rosters, $20M annual apparel deals, just please don't wake me up. I could legit cry right now, and **** you, Mario. I'm not listening to your **** anymore. Miami isn't just here, Miami is BACK.

It's also Nike needing to make a big splash. I knew this would happen. Nike is not doing well at all and the focus for the recovery is athletics. Great timing for both Nike and Miami

Udynasty

Today at 11:33 AM

OrangeBowlMagic said:
Bro.....a little, irrelevant private school in Coral Gables securing the largest apparel deal in the history of the sport.

We're all homers around here, and that's cool. But I'm gonna spit facts: literally NOBODY moves the needle like The U. Nobody in America.

What was Mario's line at the introductory press conference? Something like "When The U is on, there's nothing like it" ??

He ain't lying. When we're right, it's the preeminent brand in the sport. Good lord, what the **** is happening in the last 3+ years? $40M rosters, $20M annual apparel deals, just please don't wake me up. I could legit cry right now, and **** you, Mario. I'm not listening to your **** anymore. Miami isn't just here, Miami is BACK.

Adidas gave PSU a 10-year $300 million deal and they weren't willing to match Nike's $200 million deal for us. It is clear we weren't their priority.

https://www.centredaily.com/sports/college/penn-state-university/article316223070.html

Dwinstitles

Today at 11:33 AM

@Rellyrell Got word in his car and he ran over anyone in his way

Last edited: Today at 12:27 PM

H
HurricanePhilly

Today at 11:33 AM

Bender

Today at 11:34 AM

SEVEN STUDS FOR MIAMI HURRICANES FOOTBALL PLAYERS!

I CANNOT BELIEVE IT. MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED. FINALLY PROPER ON-FIELD-GEAR FOR MY FOOTBALL TEAM

supersaiyanshel

Today at 11:34 AM

Biggest. Brand. In. College. Football.

idc. idc.

orange&green84

Today at 11:35 AM

Hopefully they have no leadership at Nike, I was not happy with the later unis we got from them prior to going to Addidas.

McGahee2TheHouse

Today at 11:35 AM

But no no it was only a handful of us that saw these deficiencies!!

DroCane

Today at 11:35 AM

Udynasty said:
Adidas gave PSU a 10-year $300 million deal and they weren't willing to match Nike's $200 million deal for us. It is clear we weren't their priority.

https://www.centredaily.com/sports/college/penn-state-university/article316223070.html

How is there such a large disparity in the deal that PSU got vs ours?