Tennessee will have ‘creative control’ in Adidas uniform designs

Tennessee Athletics is switching from Nike to Adidas, but the Vols won’t be changing the “primary” process of how their uniforms are designed. That will stay in house with Tennessee’s creative team, according to Wednesday’s press release. 

While announcing the new 10-year deal, which begins in 2026, Adidas said Tennessee’s in house design team “will remain the primary driver of uniform design throughout the partnership,” adding that Adidas “will collaborate closely with Tennessee Creative, lending the brand’s design expertise and innovative products to elevate the signature look of the Tennessee Volunteers.”

“From day one of these conversations,” Alicia Longworth, Tennessee’s deputy athletic director and chief marketing officer, said, “Adidas has assured us that the existing design ethos of Tennessee Athletics is critically important to their ambitions for our brand.

“We see immense potential in leveraging Adidas’ legacy in culture and sport to further enhance the work of collegiate athletics’ most talented creative team.”

Tennessee introduced Smokey Grey alternate uniform during 2013 season

Alternate uniforms and uniform changes are nothing new for Tennessee Football over the past 12 years. Tennessee introduced its Smokey Grey alternate uniform during the 2013 season, when Adidas still had the apparel contract. 

The Smokey Grey uniform then got a new look with Nike in 2015 and, 10 years later, the Vols will wear the fourth installment of the Smokey Grey Series, which has included a new take on the Smokey Grey uniform each of the last three seasons. 

Tennessee also introduced a Dark Mode uniform in 2021 — black jerseys with orange numbers, black pants with orange stripes and a black facemask with black trim on a white helmet then added an all-black helmet in 2022, with orange Power T’s on the side and an orange helmet stripe. 

The Nike deal in 2015 introduced a checkerboard pattern on the back of the helmet stripe during the Butch Jones era, as well as a matching checkerboard look at the bottom of the single stripe on the pants. 

Tennessee brought back the traditional helmet stripe and dual stripes on the pants during the Jeremy Pruitt era.

Terms of the deal between Tennessee and Adidas were not disclosed. Nike had been Tennessee’s official apparel provider since July 1, 2015, after the Vols and Lady Vols spent the previous 20 years with Adidas. 

‘We’re going to honor our past, celebrate our traditions while also innovating for the future’

Adidas in its press release also promised “to uphold the rich traditions of the University of Tennessee’s athletic history while bringing new energy and industry-leading resources to the storied UT brand.”

“Tennessee is a tradition rich place,” Tennessee athletic director Danny White told Volquest, “and we’re going to honor our past, celebrate our traditions while also innovating for the future.

“… We have creative control, but they have talented creative people. We have talented creative people. I think that anytime you’re a priority for someone, I think that there’s more opportunity for ideation and thinking about how do we continue to have our foot on the pedal in terms of innovation. But we will always make sure we’re honoring our traditions and Adidas knows how important that is.”