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

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.

Adidas and the University of Tennessee have announced a one-of-a-kind partnership. Effective July 1, 2026, Adidas will be the official footwear, uniform, apparel and sideline partner of UT Athletics.