This July, Tennessee brought a huge change to their uniforms and the cleats its players will be wearing. They have signed a 10-year deal with Adidas. But with changes come challenges, and the SEC school felt it most after ending its 11-year Nike era.

The Vols are bound to use new Adidas gear, as they have already begun their preseason practice of this season. That pushed the school to donate its old Nike gear to an in-state Division II team.

On Saturday, Carson-Newman’s players were shown in old Tennessee Nike gear at the practice field, as per the video shared by the Division II school, obtained by WATE 6 On Your Side’s sports reporter Casey Kay.

It looks like a thoughtful gesture from the outside, but for Tennessee, it’s a mandatory move for accepting three stripes while letting go of the traditional Swoosh. And choosing the Eagles makes sense, given their location. The D-II school is just 30 miles west of Knoxville.

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This season we will see the Vols with their new uniform, footwear, and get-up during road trips and home games across all varsity sports. But this partnership with Adidas marks a reunion. Before making a decade-long apparel deal with Nike, the SEC school had spent 20 years wearing uniforms after teaming up with Adidas.

Following 2015, the school inked a deal with Nike, beginning a new chapter. For extending the 11-year deal, negotiations started between Tennessee and Nike in early 2024, but ultimately nothing worked out, opening the door for other big brands. Enter Adidas with a deal that can’t be missed.

In August 2025, the Vols announced a return to its old partner, signing a deal on July 1. But what stood out to Tennessee to choose Adidas?

“Adidas recognized our potential and responded with one of the best apparel deals in the history of college sports, prioritizing Vol Nation and the Tennessee brand,” said Tennessee AD Danny White. “This partnership provides us with a significant advantage in the ever-evolving landscape of college sports. We refuse to partner with someone who does not feel the same way.”

With this new deal, we will see the Vols in their iconic orange during home games and white during road games. And the year-long Dark Mode, all-black alternate uniform introduced in 2021, also continues.

The SEC school’s opinion on the Adidas deal

In the SEC, Adidas has a partnership with Texas A&M and Mississippi State. Now, Tennessee also joins this group. But from the start of their reunion deal, the Vols certified one thing to the iconic brand: the school’s in-house creative team will actively work with Adidas’ team in designing gear.

“Adidas has assured us that the existing design ethos of Tennessee Athletics is critically important to their ambitions for our brand,” said Tennessee’s deputy ADA, Alicia Longworth, in July 2026, as reported by On3.

More importantly, this new Adidas deal brings more than the old one with NIL money. That will definitely help the Vols to stay competitive in the recruiting arms race in the era of revenue sharing.

“Our mission is to build the premier athletics department in the country and to lead the way in college sports,” said the SEC school’s AD in July to ON3. “Partnering with Adidas is an ideal fit, as their mission is to be the best sports brand in the world.”