*Insert comical gag on Nike
Just Do It slogan*
Things like this are what we talk about in the dog days. Too early to talk pre-season predictions, the Harbaugh tape is wearing thin and stuck on replay, and well this is the only way to keep college football conversation going. On Monday afternoon, the University of Michigan announced they are replacing the three stripes with the swoosh. Opting out of extending their contract with Adidas, one worth $82 million over ten years, Michigan inked a deal with Nike. No financial specifics were released at the time of the announcement, leaving speculation about the enormity of the deal. Michigan and Nike plan to release the information formally within the next week. All that is currently known about the deal is that Nike will outfit Michigan varsity athletes beginning in August 2016 through 2027. With Notre Dame agreeing to a reported 10 year $90 million deal with Under Armour, there is a belief Michigan's deal will hover precisely above or below the Fighting Irish's deal. Rumors also revealed to the media are the probability the deal will be the largest for Nike.
Michigan's royalty gains off licensing their name and likeness to Adidas and other apparel manufacturers currently place them within the top five of schools involved with the College Licensing Company, in terms of sales. Even with Adidas, whose popularity among the nation sits substantially lower than Nike's, Michigan's sales figures reiterated the notion it's name is the reason it sells, not the company who produces their products. Still further, the Nike name should increase the already high numbers Michigan apparel produces. Which is perhaps while the deal is so appealing to the "giants" of the world. Even while swimming in mediocrity for the better part of seven years, Michigan's name continues to sell, and sell well. Much like Notre Dame, no matter the product put out onto the field any given Saturday, it's the name and all it's former glory continues to sell merchandise. Nike is a business, it doesn't matter who represents them on the field, (they outfit a fair amount of average football teams, college and pro) as long as they control the market in their respective field. Think about it this way, Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, and Florida State were college football's first ever playoff teams. Who are they sponsored by? Nike. All the eye's watching the three games -and there were many- saw teams adorned in Nike uniforms. Nike gloves, cleats, socks, arm sleeves, tape, eye paint, etc all emblazoned with the swoosh. Advertising works, and Nike plays the game better than anyone. Adding Michigan will only increase their sales, and increase Michigan's enough where they'll vie for a spot in the top three in licensing royalties. The deal makes sense for both sides from a money standpoint.
From any other standpoint, the play on the field has nothing to do with who sponsors the jerseys. Many athletes will tell you they favor Nike over Adidas or any other brand, unless that brand is paying them money in endorsements, because of the style Nike brings to their apparel. The Nike brand cannot guarantee wins. Of the 8 teams who played in the Big Ten Championship games, the brands used have been split in half. Both Adidas and Nike have represented four times, with an Adidas team, Wisconsin, winning the championship twice, more than the other schools. So if we're talking wins, Adidas should be the go to. No switch from one company to another is going to solve any of a school's athletic problems. In a tradition rich school, whose previous brand deal was with Nike before the switch to Adidas, a question begs to be answered. Why switch from Nike in the first place? Under Lloyd Carr the Wolverines amassed a record of 64-24 while wearing Nike. Under Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke the Wolverines were 46-42 while donning Adidas. While the aforementioned sentence could be used to solidify a case to switch to Nike, any fan who processes information at a higher level than fifth grader will know the mediocrity of Hoke's and Rodriguez's tenure stems from the abysmal coaching both men employed. If the switch to Adidas was the pay day Michigan was going to receive, the argument that Dave Brandon saw Michigan as a business and ran it as so, absolutely becomes clear. So for the first time in seven or so odd years, Michigan did something right.
Nike is far and away the best brand in sports. To compare the two companies is to compare off brand cereals. Sure they'll both get the job done, one will taste better and look better, the one is obvious here. The switch to Nike for Michigan, is a deal that will benefit both sides of the table, obviously. It's a no-brain-er, and as soon as the rumors began to circulate, we all knew this day was coming. They did have to go through a process however, even if the process was ridiculously unnecessary. Michigan listened to it's fan base and athletes this time. "We want Nike." Now they have it. Hackett's version of Michigan looks far better than Brandon's already. Cheers to you Nike and Michigan, cheers to you.
