Washington announced Tuesday it will switch its apparel partnership from Nike to Adidas, effective July 1 of next year.
Washington had been a Nike client for the past two decades, earning $3.5 million in apparel and cash per year over the past decade. The new Adidas deal will pay the school $5.275 million in cash, $5.58 million in apparel and $1.1 million in marketing per year as part of a 10-year, $119 million deal, according to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times.
"We believe this partnership will allow us to provide a new competitive edge to our coaches, student-athletes and our incredible fan base," Washington AD Jennifer Cohen said in a statement. "As we researched adidas' college partnerships, we were extremely impressed with their product innovation, global brand significance, and most of all the depth of service and attention they provide to their partner schools. After meeting with their leadership team, it was clear that adidas understands what makes Washington special and I believe their passion for this partnership will resonate deeply with all who call themselves Huskies."
Washington will become the first Pac-12 North school and second Pac-12 school (Arizona State being the other) to wear Adidas. In addition to representing a raise, switching from Nike to Adidas also makes cultural sense for Washington, since the Huskies' archrival is Nike's poster child.
While the payday and investment Adidas will provide is obviously significant for Washington -- Jude reported Nike wasn't willing to go beyond the 11-year, $88 million deal it gave Oregon -- the deal could also be significant for Adidas as well. All of the nine programs to reach the College Football Playoff through four years in the new system have worn Nike; Washington under Chris Petersen figures to give the Three Stripes one of its best chances to reach the CFP.
“Like the University of Washington, adidas is a respected worldwide brand, and this unique partnership will position us for great success moving forward,” Petersen said in a statement. “We are excited to partner with adidas, and we believe our student-athletes will benefit greatly from this agreement.”
The Huskies' football uniforms could use a refresh from the Three Stripes, as the current look has evolved into a mish mash of clashing elements. Washington's classic "W" logo does not jive with the modern uniform font, the gold pants clash with the gold helmets and the black on the sleeves serves no apparent purpose beyond simply having black on the uniform.
Here is a rundown of the Pac-12's apparel alignment, effective July 1, 2019:
South Division
Arizona - Nike
Arizona State - Adidas
Colorado - Nike
UCLA - Under Armour
USC - Nike
Utah - Under Armour
North Division
Cal - Under Armour
Oregon - Nike
Oregon State - Nike
Stanford - Nike
Washington - Adidas
Washington State - Nike