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| Photo Credit: Adidas/Forbes.com |
Written By: Nathan Skinner
Canes Rising Contributor
It's finally happened, Miami is moving away from the swoosh, to the land of the trefoil. Thursday morning, Athletic Director Blake James finally announced what was slowly becoming common knowledge: Miami will become a member of #TeamAdidas, once the current Nike contract expires. This move marks the end of a long partnership between the University and Nike, a partnership that was once considered cutting edge and avant garde. Today, the relationship is one of many, with Miami being a mere member of Team Nike, instead of the star attraction. The switch to Adidas ensures that Miami will once again be a featured name in the team apparel market, but the change doesn't come without doubts and uncertainty. Adidas isn't a big player in the collegiate market, and their portfolio has been small for the better part of fifteen years. Should Miami be all in with #TeamAdidas?
College sports is a business, whether fans want to admit it or not. The U is a small business, competing in an industry in which the elite are spending at a level that is unheard of. Demographics trap Miami in an unfavorable position. With a small alumni base, and a disjointed, toxic fanbase, Miami has to depend on corporate sponsorships to make up for lost revenue. While most schools can overlook apparel deals, thanks to the millions garnered in donations and television deals, Miami has to find a way to maximize every revenue stream. As a result, apparel deals are a large part of Miami's financial puzzle, and for the last decade it was a missing piece. To understand why the piece was missing, one has to look at the odd world of apparel Nike, thanks to their enormous market share, and foresight owns the rights to a majority of major college programs. Therefore, they have locked other major companies out of the market, which leads to Nike being able to pay teams far below market value. With the emergence of Adidas and Under Armour, the situation has changed. While the exact figures are not available, it's believed that the Adidas pact is significantly larger than the expiring Nike deal, in some estimates "multiple times" larger. This is a major cash infusion for the athletic department, a department that needs significant revenue increases, if they are to remain competitive in the marketplace.
This move isn't prompted solely by a desire to increase revenue, there's other aspects to this move that are appealing. Over the last decade, college apparel has become more than a sweatshirt worn by a hungover coed, it's become a way to tell the story of an institution. Ever since Oregon was re-imagined by alumnus Phil Knight, schools have been more willing to use apparel to sell their institutions to potential students, and potential student-athletes. From the U.S. Naval Academy, Maryland, all the way to Mississippi State schools have used uniforms and apparel to present a narrative to the consumer. When one looks at Miami's tenure with Nike the question one has to ask is "What's the story?". Miami's apparel options have rarely been been outstanding, and the stories told are nonexistent. While Nike has released jerseys of former greats, and have used "The U" liberally, there's little storytelling. Miami rarely wears throwbacks, rarely has alternates that are cutting edge, and have rarely been featured in promotional material. If today is any indication, Adidas is going to put Miami at the forefront of their featured programs. From the announcement picture, to the custom cleats Adidas created for former 'Canes, it's obvious that this company sees Miami as a valuable entity. That story being told will help to connect potential students and and potential student athletes to the University. An additional story that may finally be told is the global phenomenon that is Miami. Adidas is a foreign company, a company that has experience in telling globally recognizable stories. While Nike has experience in the international market, it's not as extensive as Adidas' , thanks to Nike's lagging soccer brand. The University of Miami is uniquely positioned, thanks to the city in which it resides. Not only does the University have a unique story, the city itself has stories to share. Adidas will most likely have products that will tell those stories, which means The U will have a chance to become a global brand. That's something that the typical football factory can't ever be.
While the Adidas deal makes a ton of sense, there's some concerns that shouldn't be dismissed. Adidas hasn't been overly active in the college apparel market, which has affected the perception of the brand. The company has been described as inferior and lacking the street cred of Nike, a company that rode the enormous success of the Jordan imprint to widespread urban appeal. That lack of street cred may translate into recruiting, especially basketball recruiting. That said, Miami is rarely in the race for most of the elite hoop prospects, instead landing athletic, raw prospects who can fit into Jim Larranaga's system. Therefore, the anticipated recruiting affect may be a tad overstated. In football, recruiting isn't as brand based, due to the fact that schools tend to go with a variety of equipment providers. While Adidas may not be perceived as having street cred, that may be changing. The company that once signed Run DMC to a marketing contract has also signed such hip hop acts as Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and 2 Chainz. These moves are all relatively recent, making it hard to predict the long term outcome. However, it's not outside the realm of possibility that Adidas will ride those signings to credibility in urban areas.
Miami's move to Adidas may not be popular with the fanbase, but that's not the fault of Adidas. That anger is the result of a decade of mediocrity, and a succession of horrible moves by the athletic department. This is one of the few moves that should be lauded, for it gives Miami a chance to be competitive, and it allows Miami a chance to recapture the outlaw spirit that made The U a valuable brand.
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