Hawaii switching gears, agrees to apparel deal with Adidas

LAS VEGAS >> The University of Hawaii sports teams are earning their stripes.

UH has reached agreement on an apparel and equipment deal with Adidas, a sportswear giant identified by its three-stripe logo.

The four-year contract, which runs through the 2024-25 academic year, will begin with a one-year transitional period during which Adidas initially will provide gear for UH football, men’s and women’s basketball, and both volleyball teams. The other 14 UH teams will continue to use existing inventory for another year. All UH sports teams will be outfitted in Adidas’ apparel next year.

It has not been announced whether the deal will include cash payments.

“I’m excited about it,” UH football coach Todd Graham said. “I’ve had a relationship with Adidas in the past (at Arizona State). It’s a first-class organization. The first step to being a champion is to appear to look like a champion. We’re excited about that partnership, and partnered with a company that has the same ideals that we have, which is about being the best.”

The Adidas’ partnership replaces UH’s all-sports deal with Under Armour. UH and Under Armour negotiated a buyout on a five-year, $10.2-million deal that was set to run through June 2022. Under Armour has been hurt by a slump in sales. Last year, Under Armour suspended its 15-year, $280-million deal with UCLA. That pact was signed in 2016. Under Armour also sought to end its contract with the Pac-12 member California.

Under Armour and UH began their partnership in 2008, two months after the Rainbow Warrior football team competed in the Sugar Bowl. The initial Under Armour did not include all UH sports. The extension in 2017 required that all UH sports use Under Armour gear.

During the Mountain West Football Media Days in Las Vegas, UH head coach Todd Graham wore Adidas shoes and polo shirt. UH also displayed a demo of its football jerseys with Colt Brennan’s name and jersey number. Brennan was a record-setting UH quarterback who died in May.