Tennessee football has officially unveiled its highly anticipated Adidas “Dark Mode” uniforms, completing a week-long rollout of the Volunteers’ new apparel collection ahead of the 2026 season.
On Thursday, July 9, the Volunteers released a cinematic social media video titled “Darkness Comes for All,” showcasing the sleek black football uniforms. The dramatic reveal follows the style of the program’s viral “Venom”-inspired teaser that first introduced the Dark Mode concept in 2024.
The Dark Mode uniforms complete Adidas’ initial lineup after Tennessee previously introduced its traditional orange, white, and Summitt Blue designs earlier in the week. Fans will be able to purchase the new Adidas merchandise beginning July 10, with additional apparel expected to be released throughout the football season.
Tennessee has enjoyed considerable success while wearing its black alternate uniforms, compiling a 5-2 record since their debut in 2009. Those victories include wins over South Carolina (2009, 2021, and 2023) and Kentucky (2022 and 2024), while the Volunteers’ only defeats in the alternate look came against Georgia in 2021 and Oklahoma in 2025.
The uniform launch also marks the beginning of Tennessee’s landmark 10-year partnership with Adidas, which officially started on July 1. The agreement positions the Volunteers as one of Adidas’ flagship collegiate programs and is expected to strengthen Tennessee’s name, image and likeness (NIL) efforts, while ending the school’s 11-year apparel partnership with Nike.
Adidas previously served as Tennessee’s official apparel provider from 1995 to 2015 before returning for a new era that includes footwear, uniforms, sideline apparel, and fan merchandise.
Tennessee’s Adidas Uniform Rollout
-
July 6: Orange uniforms for multiple sports, including football.
-
July 7: White uniforms for multiple sports, including football.
-
July 8: Summitt Blue uniforms for select women’s sports.
-
July 9: Dark Mode football uniforms.
Tennessee also confirmed that its redesigned Smokey Grey football uniforms will be unveiled at a later date, adding another highly anticipated look to the Volunteers’ new Adidas collection.
