Adidas To Offer NIL Money To More Than 50,000 Athletes At Sponsored Schools: Reactions

• Adidas just announced that it will be offering NIL money to every athlete at sponsored schools.
• The deal includes more than 50,000 athletes across 23 sports and 109 colleges.
• Read more news about NIL here.

It was only a matter of time before a big shoe company made a big splash using the new Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) program in college athletics.

On Wednesday, adidas fired the first shot in the NIL war between sneaker brands by announcing that it will be providing NIL money to more than 50,000 athletes across 23 sports and 109 colleges – schools that already have sponsorship deals with the company.

“Today, adidas will become the first major sports brand to enact a wide-sweeping, equitable and inclusive Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) network for student-athletes,” the company said on its website. “Tied to this year’s 50th anniversary of Title IX, the new program will be laser focused on achieving an enduring goal from the brand: creating a more equitable future in sport.”

Jim Murphy, adidas NCAA Program Lead, said about the new program, “The adidas NIL network embodies our belief that sport has the power to change lives by upskilling athletes and giving them the ability to begin to experience an entrepreneurial path that will carry them beyond their college years. This is not just a first-of-its kind program for the brand and industry, it goes much wider by unlocking opportunities in business and life that will enable them as student-athletes to maximize their NIL, opening the doors to future possibilities.”

adidas beats other shoe companies to the punch with new NIL network

The new adidas NIL network will be launched in four phases over the next 12 months beginning with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Power-5 conference partners in the Fall 2022, then scaling across all adidas-sponsored colleges by April 2023.

“adidas’ NIL network is an incredible step forward for the growth of women’s sports,” said adidas partner Candace Parker. “It will have an impact on the future of college athletics and hopefully create a more equal, sustainable landscape where athletes feel supported and invested in as they grow in their college careers. It builds upon adidas’ and my shared ambition to empower the next generation of women in life and sport.”

Fans, naturally, responded to this massive new NIL deal by adidas with many questions and much speculation.

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