The Tennessee Vols Are Considering A BIG Change In 2026...

AtoZ Sports

Lucas Panzica talks about recent reports surrounding Tennessee football, that suggest that the Vols could pivot away from Nike in 2026, and go back to Adidas for their uniforms.

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00:00There is some uncertainty on what kind of uniforms Tennessee Athletics will wear in 2026 and beyond,

00:06and it has sparked a pretty big debate amongst Vols fans.

00:09We'll fill you in in just a moment.

00:14Hey, Lucas Panzeca here from 104.5 The Zone and A to Z Sports.

00:18So reportedly, according to multiple outlets like Fox Sports Knoxville and Adam Sparks of Knox News,

00:23they have stated that Tennessee's contract currently with Nike is set to expire in June of 2026,

00:30and that from there, the Vols will be mulling other options in terms of brands looking to come in and take over Tennessee Athletics apparel.

00:38Now, in short, this does not mean that Tennessee is moving on from Nike in the 2026 football season and beyond.

00:45It simply means that there will be other suitors, other bidders for Tennessee apparel.

00:51Now, the Vols were in Adidas school for a very long time until about over a decade ago.

00:56In 2014, Tennessee made the switch to Nike.

00:59Now, I think most Tennessee fans agree that the switch to Nike came with an upgrade in the Vols' overall look,

01:06especially on the football field and when it came to alternate uniforms, the smoky grays, the dark mode uniforms.

01:12Nike overall did a better job with those than Adidas did.

01:16I think that's mostly the consensus, at least, among Vols fans.

01:20I will say, Tennessee won the national championship in 1998 wearing Adidas, but that's besides the point.

01:26What do you think about this?

01:27Nike or Adidas?

01:28Let us know in the comments.

01:30I will say, I don't think it's a debate that should be carrying as much oxygen as it is with Tennessee fans.

01:36I'm not surprised that it is.

01:37Tennessee fans care about the look of their football and basketball team when they take the field or the floor.

01:43But, I will say, in this era of college athletics, every penny, every bit of revenue for an athletic department,

01:50especially as we get closer to revenue sharing, is critical.

01:54And Tennessee may be faced with a decision that simply leans towards whatever funnels more money into the athletic department

02:01and gives them more resources to go win games.

02:04And the other thing, if Adidas is a higher bidder than Nike, it doesn't mean that Adidas will hijack all Tennessee apparel.

02:12The Vols have their own systems in place to have an impact and influence on what Tennessee's uniforms look like in the future.

02:20And, as most of these deals are, Nike, being the current rights holder for Tennessee apparel,

02:27will likely have the last opportunity to match or exceed any bids from other suitors.

02:32So, if you're worried that Tennessee is going to move away from Nike, you should not panic.

02:37Number one, Nike will have every chance to stick with the Vols.

02:40Number two, if it's not Nike moving forward after 2026,

02:44then it's probably because somebody else dropped a big old bag in the lap of Tennessee athletics.

02:49And that means more money, and that means more chances to get players in for Tennessee football and all other sports.

02:57So, don't fret, Vols fans.

02:58Hence, Tennessee's uniforms are not going in the gutter because the current contract with Nike expires in a little over a year from now.

03:07But, if you have an opinion, like I said, let us know in the comments.

03:10Team Nike or Team Adidas?

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