Beginning July 1, Tennessee officially transitioned from Nike to Adidas under a landmark 10-year agreement that positions the Volunteers as one of the global sportswear giant’s flagship collegiate programs. The partnership marks a new chapter for Tennessee Athletics and promises a fresh identity across every varsity sport.
On Wednesday, Tennessee released a pair of promotional videos across its social media platforms, offering fans their first glimpse of the upcoming Adidas collection. Manning and Slay—both icons of Tennessee’s previous Adidas era—featured prominently in the campaign, celebrating the program’s rich tradition while embracing its future.
In one video filmed inside Neyland Stadium, Manning appears wearing a classic-style Adidas Tennessee jersey reminiscent of his playing days in the 1990s. Standing alongside current Volunteers student-athletes, the Hall of Fame quarterback highlights Adidas’ commitment to every Tennessee athletic program.
“This year, Adidas is sponsoring student-athletes at the University of Tennessee in every single sport,” Manning says before humorously adding, “You know who else is getting signed for some reason? Old quarterbacks.”
Slay delivers a powerful message in a second promotional video titled “Three-Stripe Living,” drawing a connection between Tennessee’s storied past and its promising future with Adidas.
“This is three-stripe living in the perfect shade of orange. Tennessee and Adidas. It’s Adidas and Tennessee. Some things are just better together,” Slay says as the video concludes with Tennessee athletes unveiling their new Adidas apparel.
Although the teasers have generated significant excitement among the Volunteer faithful, fans will have to wait until after the Independence Day weekend for the full reveal of Tennessee’s redesigned uniforms.
Tennessee Adidas Uniform Release Schedule
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July 6: Orange uniforms for multiple sports, including football.
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July 7: White uniforms for multiple sports, including football.
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July 8: Summitt Blue uniforms for select women’s athletic programs.
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July 9: Football’s highly anticipated “Dark Mode” alternate uniforms.
Tennessee also confirmed that the redesigned Smokey Grey football uniforms will be unveiled at a later date.
The wait for fans won’t last much longer, as official Adidas Tennessee merchandise is scheduled to arrive in stores on July 10, with additional apparel and exclusive collections expected to roll out throughout the 2026 football season.
The launch signals the beginning of a new era for Tennessee Athletics, blending the Volunteers’ championship tradition with Adidas’ modern design and innovation as the program prepares for an exciting new season.7
