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Why Lady Vols legend Candace Parker believes Tennessee deal with Adidas is a win for UT
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- Why Lady Vols legend Candace Parker believes Tennessee deal with Adidas is a win for UT
Tennessee athletics will switch from Nike to Adidas in 2026 as its official apparel supplier, marking a return to the brand that has a long-standing relationship with Lady Vols basketball legend Candace Parker .
The blockbuster 10-year deal will begin July 1, 2026. In addition to being the official footwear, uniform, apparel and sideline partner of UT Athletics, the deal will be focused on name, image and likeness benefits for athletes. Adidas previously served as Tennessee's apparel provider from 1995 to 2014.
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Parker, who led the Lady Vols to national championships in 2007 and 2008, was hired as the Adidas president of women's basketball shortly after her retirement from the WNBA in 2024.
"From my days rocking the orange and white to now leading on and off the court, adidas has always had my back with the best gear and support," Parker said in a school release on Aug. 13. "Seeing adidas link back up with Tennessee feels like coming full circle. I know this partnership is going to open a ton of doors for the next generation of Vols — and I couldn't be more hype about it."
Parker was signed with Adidas for the entirety of her 16-year career in the WNBA. The Naperville, Illinois, native became the first woman to have a signature basketball shoe at Adidas when the Ace Commander was released in 2010.
Parker left Tennessee as one of the greatest players to suit up for the Lady Vols, and her No. 3 jersey was retired in 2014.
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Parker helped facilitate the new deal between Adidas and Tennessee and will have a voice in the brand's marketing strategy with her alma mater.
"Candace has been a great partner of ours, obviously, from her days at Tennessee. I hear from Candace a lot on the importance of the Volunteer nation and how it would be great if we were back to being partners," Chris McGuire, Adidas Vice President of Sports Marketing, told Knox News. "Obviously, we use Candace quite a bit in the background to help facilitate some different ideas that we can bring to the university. So Candace, in her role as president of our women's basketball, was able to share some great insights for us across all (Tennessee) sports."
How Adidas partnership can be advantage in recruiting
Adidas has been a leader in the NIL space since it was adopted by the NCAA in 2021. The brand included women's sports from the beginning, signing 15 female student-athletes to NIL deals in 2022. That group included former Tennessee softball outfielder Kinsey Fiedler, who played at Washington at the time. Lady Vols basketball senior forward Janiah Barker has been signed with Adidas since 2024.
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Adidas' strong presence in the NIL space can be a recruiting advantage for Tennessee. The brand is already working to land NIL deals with UT athletes during the 2025-26 school year before the partnership officially begins.
The brand will offer "unprecedented NIL opportunities" for athletes in all 20 of UT's varsity programs. Every athlete at Tennessee will be eligible to participate in Adidas' NIL Ambassador Network, which includes more than 12,000 college athletes who earn a percentage of the sales they drive for key product and campaigns.
Adidas basketball announced its next wave of high school NIL athletes in May, including three of the top women's basketball prospects in the country. Five-star forward Oliviyah Edwards , who's ranked No. 2 in the 2026 class, was part of the new group of signees. Tennessee is in the running to land Edwards, who will visit campus in September.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women's athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll ; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social . Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Candace Parker: Tennessee Adidas deal is a win for future Vols
