BREAKING: Penn State finalizes brand partnership with Adidas

A new era of Penn State athletics is set to begin next summer. On Friday afternoon, the university announced that its brand partnership with Adidas had been made official.

The 10-year partnership is set to begin once the Nittany Lions’ current agreement with Nike expires on June 30, 2026. Adidas will take over as the official sponsor for all athletics starting with the 2026-27 competition year.

Penn State has been a Nike school since 1993. As part of the new agreement, Adidas will prioritize high-profile NIL deals for student athletes across all 31 sports on campus.

“This is more than a partnership,” athletic director Pat Kraft said in a statement released Friday afternoon. “It’s innovation. It’s momentum. It’s the future of college athletics. Adidas is all in, investing full force in us.”

👀 𝑽𝑰𝑰.𝑰.𝑴𝑴𝑿𝑿𝑽𝑰

→ https://t.co/58FjyRbsEV#WeAre pic.twitter.com/z8enN3wZSx

— Penn State Athletics (@GoPSUsports) September 5, 2025

Once the partnership begins, all 800-plus of the school’s student-athletes will be eligible to participate in Adidas’ NIL Ambassador Network. The apparatus gives all student-athletes at Adidas-partnered Division I schools the chance to benefit from NIL opportunities.

“Adidas is committed to partnering with universities like Penn State that possess rich tradition and championship potential in equal measure. We see this new agreement as a unique opportunity for us to help shape the next chapter of Penn State Athletics while staying true to everything that makes the Nittany Lions an iconic brand,” said John Miller, Adidas President, North America.

Rumors of a potential deal began circulating earlier this week. Penn State joins Tennessee as the second major college program to switch from Nike to Adidas in the last month.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube — and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for the latest breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on social media.