Peyton Manning reintroduces Tennessee athletics and Adidas on social media
The biggest ambassador of Tennessee was front and center in the sports apparel giant’s promotional video.
The Tennessee Vols are officially an Adidas school once again.
Beginning on July 1, the Vols rejoined the global sports apparel giant with whom they had a contract from 1995 to 2015 before switching to Nike. Tennessee announced a 10-year agreement with Adidas last year that proved to be one of the more innovative apparel deals out there.
And who else would be the one to star in a social media post than the Sheriff himself, Peyton Manning?
The legendary Vols signal caller was the narrator of the video that starred athletes all across Tennessee athletics, including football’s Jeremiah Telander, men’s basketball’s Juke Harris, and softball’s Sage Mardjetko.
Peyton Manning front and center in new video from Adidas announcing Tennessee partnership
“This year, Adidas is sponsoring athletes at the University of Tennessee in every single sport,” Manning said. “All the sports? Yes. Football? Yes. Soccer? Yes. Rowing? Yes. Basketball? Yes. Softball, baseball, tennis, swimming and diving, track and field, cross-country, volleyball, golf. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Of course, Manning finished it off with a bit of comedy, in perfect Manning style.
“You know who else is getting signed for some reason? Old quarterbacks.”
Adidas and Tennessee announced back in August 2025 a new partnership that would see the former contribute to Tennessee’s NIL programs across all sports as a financial component of the new deal.
“In addition to providing top-tier footwear, apparel and equipment for training and competition, adidas and the University of Tennessee, which already boasts one of the premier NIL programs in the country, will offer unprecedented NIL opportunities for student-athletes across all 20 of the university’s varsity programs,” Tennessee wrote in its press release.
“The role of a college athletics sideline partner has changed dramatically in the 11 years since we last partnered with Tennessee Athletics,” said Chris McGuire, adidas Vice President of Sports Marketing, North America. “Adidas is establishing a new standard for investment in NIL with this partnership that will sustain UT’s powerful athletics program as the university continues competing for championships for years to come.”
It’s a new era in Knoxville for the University of Tennessee, one that Vol fans hope ends up with Adidas-clad orange jerseys celebrating championships across multiple sports.