Travis Hunter Inks Long-Term Deal with Adidas
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Travis Hunter | Courtesy of Adidas |
Ahead of this weekend’s Heisman Trophy ceremony, Adidas has signed award finalist and Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter to a multi-year footwear and apparel endorsement deal that will extend well into his NFL career. The brand and Hunter launched an apparel capsule to make things official, with a collection of performance gear going live on adidas.com earlier Thursday morning.
“Working with Adidas is a special opportunity for me and something that I’m really excited about as I look ahead to what’s next,” said Hunter.
Starring for the 9-3 Colorado Buffaloes under head coach Deion Sanders, Hunter has emerged as one of the more marketable players in all of college football. He boasts over 1.8 million followers on Instagram and 1.7 million TikTok followers, but it’s his consistent Twitch streaming that also gives him a different lane for brands to show up.
Along with his stellar play on the field, Hunter has shown to be one of the more willing and inventive content creators across the NIL landscape, leading Adidas to bet big on the 21-year-old as a long-term future featured ambassador.
“Travis is undeniably one of the most dynamic athletes in any sport,” said Aaron Seabron, GM of Adidas’ US Sports & Creation Center in Portland. “We’re excited to collaborate with him and celebrate all that he accomplishes as he transitions into the next phase of what promises to be a long and successful career.” |
Travis Hunter | Courtesy of Adidas |
As a unique two-way star playing both wide receiver and cornerback, Hunter has earned finalist nods for end-of-year awards, including the Maxwell Award, which goes to the overall player of the year, the Chuck Bednarik Award for best defensive player, and the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s top receiver. He has already won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and the Lott IMPACT Trophy, given to the top defensive player in college football.
He’s expected to be integrated into several brand campaigns and featured product launches for Adidas’ cleated and training categories, while also showing up in Adidas Originals lifestyle products as well. With the brand having already also signed Miami QB and fellow Heisman finalist Cam Ward to a long-term deal, Hunter will be joining a roster of Adidas athletes in the NFL helmed by Patrick Mahomes, Michael Penix Jr., Micah Parsons, and a dozen other featured headliners.
“The partners they currently have are top tier, with some of the best young guys like me,” added Hunter. “I’m pumped to join The Three Stripes as we continue pushing the boundaries of the sport we all love.” |
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As the upstart women’s professional 3-on-3 basketball league nears its inaugural season in Miami at the top of 2025, the Unrivaled league has landed a multi-year deal with Under Armour to become its exclusive uniform, warmups, and accessories provider for all six of its teams.
The move comes as a bit of a surprise, as just one Unrivaled player, Connecticut Sun sniper Marina Mabrey, is signed with the brand. The league’s co-founders, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, are featured endorsers for Puma and Nike, respectively. “[The partnership] shows that Under Armour is serious about investing in women’s basketball,” said Mabrey. “And it will give the brand more exposure.” |
Of the 33 players announced to date, with three additional players still to come, a total of eight footwear brands are expected to be showcased during the first Unrivaled season, which tips off in January.
Based on sneakers worn to close the most recent WNBA season, Nike touts 16 players, Jordan Brand includes another 5, while both Adidas and Puma will have four players competing. Reebok, Under Armour, Skechers, and Moolah Kicks will each have one player participating in the league. Both Paige Bueckers and Flau'jae Johnson have been announced as having equity partnerships with the league. The Nike and Puma NIL headliners will be sitting out the first season of Unrivaled as they finish their collegiate seasons, so they are not included in the brand breakdown below.
With its unique 70-foot full-court format for 3-on-3 and a TV deal locked in with TNT, I’m expecting the first Unrivaled season to make the most of the momentum of the most recent W season, and become yet another key platform for some of the biggest stars in women’s basketball to elevate their brand recognition and showcase their partnerships. |
| Brand | No. of Players |
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Nike
| 16 | | Jordan | 5 | | Adidas | 4 | | Puma | 4 | | Reebok | 1 | | Under Armour | 1 | | Skechers | 1 | | Moolah Kicks | 1 |
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In additional uniform news this week, Nike and the NFL have landed a new 10-year extension of their current agreement that secures the Swoosh as the exclusive outfitter of uniforms and sideline, practice, and baselayer apparel for all 32 NFL teams through 2038. First landed 12 years ago, the wide-ranging deal has also provided Nike with licensing rights to utilize NFL team logos across a series of footwear launches.
"This partnership renewal is a testament to the strength and success of our collaboration with the NFL,” said Elliott Hill, President & CEO of NIKE, Inc.
One of the feel-good stories of the early NBA season came together this week as Lakers two-way guard Quincy Olivari landed a shoe deal with Curry Brand. The undrafted 23-year-old out of Xavier was brought to tears after meeting Stephen Curry earlier in the season. He later posted childhood photos of himself wearing a #30 Warriors jersey on Instagram and shared that he had gotten Curry’s autograph a decade ago at a Warriors road game.
After making his NBA debut with the Lakers in a Curry 1 Low PE and scoring his first career basket, Curry requested the signed game-worn pair from Olivari for his own collection. "I'm happy to have him on the squad, for sure," said Curry.
“Steph’s journey is all about being underrated but believing in yourself and knowing that you belong,” said Olivari. “Representing that mindset and being a part of what he is building with this brand is just an incredible opportunity, and I am grateful that our paths crossed earlier this year to make this all possible.”
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Courtesy of Heritage Auctions |
While the last few years have seen original Air Jordan 1s and Jordan game-worn sneakers spike across the auction marketplace — no shoe is touching these any time soon. The original ruby red sequined slippers worn by actress Judy Garland’s “Dorothy” character in The Wizard of Oz were bid up to an insane $28 million through the Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. The final buyer’s total was $32.5 million after adding in the auction house’s additional fees.
Just one of four existing pairs believed to have been worn by Garland during the filming of the iconic 1939 film, the auction set a new record for a movie memorabilia clothing item. And shout out to my old McClatchy High School basketball squad, who was relentless in calling me “Dorothy” back in the early 2000s every time I laced up my ruby red Hyperflights.
Jimmy Butler has landed his beloved Tyler Junior College basketball program a new uniform and footwear sponsorship with Li-Ning. As an unrecruited high school prospect, Butler played his first college season at the community college just three hours north of his Tomball, Texas, hometown. His Li-Ning signature logo will be featured across Apaches jerseys, while players will wear his JB3 signature shoe and JB Buckets team shoes in games.
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