The University of Utah signed a multi-year apparel deal with Adidas, ending a relationship with Under Armour that stretched back years and capping a process that included preliminary conversations with Nike. The move puts Adidas on the sidelines of Rice-Eccles Stadium and gives the German brand another Power Four program as it rebuilds market share against Nike's dominant college footprint.
Utah evaluated Nike early in the process before Adidas emerged as the winning bidder. Financial terms were not disclosed, but comparable Adidas deals at peer institutions—Washington State signed for $750,000 annually in 2022, Colorado State at $850,000—suggest Utah's contract likely exceeds $1 million per year given the program's Big 12 profile and recent on-field success. Under Armour's exit leaves the brand with fewer than 30 FBS programs, down from a peak near 50 in the mid-2010s. The company has shed Arizona, UCLA, and Cal in recent years as it refocuses on flagship properties like Notre Dame, Auburn, and Navy.
The timing matters for two reasons. First, Utah enters the Big 12 in 2024 alongside Arizona, Arizona State, and Colorado, creating a new Western pod that advertisers and apparel brands view as undervalued relative to legacy Big 12 markets. Adidas already outfits Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas A&M, and adding Utah strengthens its claim on that corridor. Second, the deal comes as college apparel contracts reset upward—Michigan re-upped with Jordan Brand for $173.8 million over 11 years in 2022, Ohio State signed with Nike for $252 million through 2033—and mid-tier Power Four programs are testing whether their leverage has improved. Utah's athletic revenue hit $107 million in fiscal 2023, placing it in the top half of the new Big 12, and the Utes have won back-to-back Pac-12 championships. That profile gives the program negotiating weight it lacked a decade ago.
Adidas has been methodical. The brand lost ground to Nike in the 2010s but has quietly added programs with strong regional identity and upside demographics: Miami, Louisville, Rutgers. Utah fits the pattern—Salt Lake City metro area growing, Olympic legacy infrastructure, and a basketball program that reached the NCAA tournament in four of the last six seasons. The university's outdoor recreation brand also aligns with Adidas's Terrex and lifestyle positioning, a factor that mattered less in earlier eras but now shows up in sponsor pitch decks.
Under Armour's calculus is harder to read. The brand still pays Notre Dame roughly $9 million annually and Auburn $6 million, but it has walked away from programs that cost less to retain than to replace. Utah's exit suggests Under Armour is willing to let second-tier Power Four contracts expire rather than match Adidas or Nike bids. That makes sense if the strategy is to consolidate around 10-15 marquee programs rather than maintain a portfolio of 40-50 schools with uneven ROI. The risk is that each departure makes the next one easier for athletic directors to justify.
Watch for Utah's first on-field appearance in Adidas gear during fall 2024 camp, typically late July. Adidas will likely debut at least one alternate uniform tied to the program's 2002 Olympic legacy or the mountain motif that plays well in regional marketing. Also watch whether Adidas moves on other Pac-12 remnants—Washington State and Oregon State remain in play as they rebuild conference alignment. Finally, check whether Utah's deal includes performance incentives tied to Big 12 championship appearances or CFP berths, a structure that has become standard in contracts signed after 2020.
Under Armour now has three months to decide whether to counter-program by signing a Group of Five brand in the Mountain West or American, or whether it simply lets the college portfolio shrink to 25 programs and redirects that budget to NIL collective partnerships, a structure the company has tested quietly in 2023.
The takeaway
Utah's Adidas deal accelerates Under Armour's retreat from mid-tier Power Four programs and tests whether Adidas can build a Western corridor as conference realignment reshuffles apparel leverage.
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