Tennessee men’s and women’s basketball on Tuesday has reached a jersey patch sponsorship deal with Axle Logistics, making the Vols and Lady Vols the first Tennessee athletic programs to enter into a jersey sponsorship deal.
Tennessee’s five-year deal jersey patch sponsorship deal with Axle Logistics averages more than $3 million per year, industry sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Volquest on Tuesday.
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“From the onset of our journey to find the right partner in this evolving landscape, it was essential that we align with an organization that not only leads its field, but also embodies innovation, integrity, and a commitment to community. We found all of that in Axle Logistics,” Tennessee athletics director Danny White said in a school release.
“Axle’s reputation for operational excellence and customer service has propelled them to the forefront of the logistics industry — not just in Knoxville, but across the nation. Their investments in technology and their dedication to supporting both employees and the broader community make them an ideal collaborator for Tennessee Athletics.”
Knoxville-based Axle Logistics is a non-asset based, third-party logistics (3PL) company with a focus on facilitating advanced logistics services – Truckload, LTL, Intermodal, and Warehousing – to a wide variety of customers throughout the continental U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
“Great athletic programs and great organizations are built on the same foundation: talent, teamwork, preparation, and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” said Axle co-founders Jon Clay and Drew Johnson in a release. “That’s why this first-of-its-kind partnership with the University of Tennessee is so meaningful to Axle.
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“By connecting with a program that develops leaders on and off the court, we’re creating opportunities to support student-athletes, strengthen our workforce pipeline, and invest in the next generation of high performers who understand what it takes to succeed.”
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes in a statement described Axle as “the perfect brand” for the Vols and Lady Vols to align with, noting the company was founded by University of Tennessee alums.
“We are pleased to partner with a group that truly understands what it means to be a Volunteer,” Barnes said. “There is no doubt this agreement will greatly benefit our basketball program. We appreciate Danny White and the Vol Network finding us such a tremendous partner in this ever-changing era of college athletics.”
Tennessee switched to Adidas for apparel before 2026-27 seasons
The Vols unveiled their new Adidas basketball uniforms last month, but the look was mostly unchanged from recent seasons.
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The only obvious change on the new orange away jersey and home white uniform is the brand logo, with the three Adidas stripes centered on the collar. The Nike swoosh was previously on the upper right side of the jersey, opposite of the SEC logo on the upper left side.
Tennessee and Volunteers remain arched above and below the number on the front of the jersey, which also has a single stripe on the side of the uniform along with other piping. The shorts feature the Power T on both sides set inside the wide stripe.
The orange women’s basketball uniform features the Tennessee bold wordmark with Summitt Blue outline on both the top and shorts. The uniform has Lady Vols in script across the chest, a center-collar Adidas logo and a Summitt Blue and orange piping on the jersey and shorts. The Summit Blue alternate also has Lady Vols scripted across the chest with orange and white piping on the shorts and jersey.
Tennessee made alternate uniform permanent in 2018-19
Tennessee’s home and away uniforms in recent season started as a white throwback in 2018-19. The first version was white, with Tennessee and Volunteers arched above and below the jersey number.
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A year later, during the 2019-20 season, the Vols added an orange version of the throwback jersey for road games after the look became the standard uniform.
The throwback was originally modeled after what Tennessee wore from the early 1970s into the ’80s, with Tennessee printed in an arc above the number and Volunteers below. The program won SEC championships in 1971-72, 1976-77, 1978-79 and 1981-82 wearing a similar look.
Tennessee’s basketball uniforms were redesigned before the 2015-16 season, after the school switched from Adidas to Nike as its official apparel dealer. The new version of the Nike jersey was worn for three seasons, with the stylized, bold Tennessee word mark across the chest and a ghosted Power T on the back, behind the player name and number.
