One has to wonder just how long it will be until a school decides to clothe its own athletes. Perhaps the Tennessee Vols could be that school.
UT will switch back from Nike to Adidas beginning in 2026. Tennessee has worked with Nike closely to develop various alternate uniforms, and things have gone quite swimmingly – at least that’s what we’ve been led to believe.
If things were so perfect between the two business entities, then they would have reached financial terms this offseason and kept chugging along making Big Orange green. That didn’t happen, which makes one wonder what went wrong.
There may well be 100 reasons why negotiations fell through, but let’s be clear: This is about money. The Tennessee Vols are a more valuable commodity than they were a dozen years ago. In fact, one could argue that it should be Nike who is suddenly in an unenviable negotiating position.
The Vols’ athletic program was recently valued at $940-million. That ranks ninth best in the nation. Tennessee has always been considered a high-value program. There’s lasting value in Knoxville.
So why not keep that money closer to home?
Why not a new apparel manufacturer, namely Tennessee? This would all be outsourced of course. No one is going to ask linebacker Arion Carter to fire up his sewing machine. However, this is the time to consider bringing such products in house. Unprecedented? Yes, but work with me.
There are a couple of things the Tennessee Vols would need to get in order before they could produce their own brand. First, they would have to feel comfortable with their own design department. We all saw what happened in 2009 when former coach Lane Kiffin pulled out some black uniforms that looked about as professional as a three-piece, terry cloth suit. That won’t work, but that would surely never happen again.
Tennessee allowed Kiffin too much control in hopes of placating fans that weren’t too keen on former coach Phillip Fulmer getting fired. That wouldn’t be an impedance nowadays. No one is pining for the Jeremy Pruitt era. In fact, the former Tennessee Vols coach is better off forgotten all together.
There would also have to be massive distribution methods in order to get the apparel to the customers. That wouldn’t be easy. However, I see UPS and FedEx trucks driving up the road every single day. I’m sure they could handle it.
It’s hard to tell just who got miffed first. Was it Tennessee or Nike? Perhaps either (or both) overvalued themselves. However, if the Vols lost Nike on just a couple of bucks, then they could be a bit tight on funds. That’s not a good sign with NIL continuing to grow.
Perhaps Nike was short on cash. With an uncertain economy, they could be pulling back from their traditionally aggressive marketing in college athletics.
Whether you like the alternate uniforms or not, they’re here to stay. They’ve been a grand success by creating a ton of revenue. Back in the day, one good orange jersey was enough. Now, fans need a wardrobe to keep up.
Someone will eventually manufacture their own apparel. Why? The money is just too good. Sure, there would be front end costs, but just imagine the long-term benefit of raking in all the profits. Why couldn’t that be Tennessee?
