MIAMI — As Indiana and Miami slug out a national title Monday night, one interested party will watch with neutral satisfaction.
No matter who wins the College Football Playoff national championship game, the victor will hand adidas its first champion in the sport since Tee Martin’s Tennessee, in 1998. Both the Hoosiers and Hurricanes are long-standing adidas partners, Miami since 2015 and Indiana since 2004.
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It will mark an important moment for the German shoe giant, which has waded into deeper water in college football lately.
“Having two adidas schools in the championship, and knowing an adidas partner will win a national title for the first time in the CFP era, is incredibly special for us,” Chris McGuire, vice president of sports marketing with adidas North America, told IndyStar. “First and foremost, it’s a historic moment for whichever university wins. Our focus will be on making sure those athletes and that school feel fully celebrated — from providing immediate, world-class championship gear to online and in-person support that will hopefully make this an even more incredible experience for Indiana and Miami fans.
“At the same time, it’s a milestone for our brand. We want our partners to look back on this run and feel that adidas was the best, most supportive partner they could have had on the journey to a national championship.”
adidas deals with Tennessee, Penn State show brand’s growth in college sports
Nike has long been an apparel leader in the college football space, with a number of major brands still wearing the Swoosh. Among others, Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia and, of course, Oregon remain in Nike’s portfolio.
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But within the last year, that portfolio has scaled down, as adidas has pushed competitively into the college football space.
Both Penn State and Tennessee announced during summer they would leave Nike for adidas on lucrative partnerships that begin with the new athletic year in July. Now, adidas will count two schools facing off for a national title.
“Expanding our footprint with partners like Tennessee and Penn State isn’t just about seeing the three stripes on more jerseys,” McGuire said. “We’ve shown these universities what adidas is capable of in the new era of college athletics as a truly comprehensive apparel partner that is seeing success on the biggest stages, as you see with Indiana and Miami.”
One, Indiana, has never won a national championship in football, and would be the sport’s first first-time champion since Steve Spurrier’s 1995 Florida team, and important feat for one of adidas’ longest-tenured major collegiate partners.
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The other, Miami, is a restored powerhouse that wore the Nike Swoosh the last time it won it all in 2001. Now, the Hurricanes would hoist a trophy in the Three Stripes.
Couple that to burgeoning athlete relationships in the name, image and likeness space — including Michael Penix Jr., Rome Odunze, former Miami quarterback Cam Ward and IU football players Fernando Mendoza and Elijah Sarratt — and McGuire said adidas feels an escalating sense of “momentum” in college football.
“We’re experiencing unprecedented momentum in college football right now, and an all-adidas championship game is a powerful signal of where that strategy is taking us,” McGuire said. “I wouldn’t say we ever expected this specific outcome, but we absolutely believed in the trajectory we were on. This is a clear validation of our long-term strategy in college football, from deep investment in our university partners to the way we’ve approached NIL, and product innovation.”
IU football CFP bonuses from adidas partnership
The game could also prove even more lucrative for Indiana than the Hoosiers’ playoff run to date has been.
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Per the terms of a contract extension signed in 2024, adidas will owe IU at least $375,000 in bonuses following the conclusion of this season:
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$100,000 for the undefeated 2025 regular season,
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$25,000 non-cumulatively for Curt Cignetti’s national coach-of-the-year awards, and
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$250,000 for advancing as far as the CFP semifinal.
Indiana would be owed another $250,000 if it wins Monday night.
For McGuire, who played at Indiana for legendary men’s soccer coach Jerry Yeagley, the Hoosiers’ rise has been both exciting and impressive.
“As an IU grad myself, it’s really a dream to be in this position and to see the growth of the athletic department,” he said. “There’s an energy around the overall athletic program that I haven’t seen in a long time, going back to the days of coach (Bob) Knight, who was a big adidas supporter and really at the center of our relationship with Indiana in the ’80s and ’90s.”
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Ultimately, McGuire said, adidas will be energized by whatever outcome Monday night delivers, the result of the CFP title game motivating his company to expand its footprint in a sport whose popularity remains ticking steadily upward.
“An all‑adidas championship game shows that our approach is working, but we see it as a starting point, not a finish line,” McGuire said. “Our university partners will always be our priority, and as we continue to invest in them and in high‑impact NIL partnerships across the country, I fully expect you’ll see even more adidas representation in the CFP in the years ahead.”
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana vs Miami in CFP national championship gives adidas big win
