Written By – Chad Washington

Orlando, FL – NIL and Brand Deals has been the talk of college sports for some time now, and as of recently, at the high school level. Despite former world wide popularity, brand deals are becoming more prevalent than ever, and actually have effects on recruiting now. In recent years, the influence of major brands such as Nike, Jordan, Adidas, and Under Armour have extended far beyond the professional and college levels. Now, their presence is being felt heavily at the high school level, particularly in basketball and football, where player and team deals, as well as sponsored events, and circuits are reshaping not just how teams look, but how athletes handle their recruitment process.

The Rise of Brand Deals For High School Programs

A few years ago, it was much rarer to see team brand deals, but now with the rise of socials and the opportunities it comes with, it’s like all of the best programs are locked in with a brand deal now. It used to be rare to see teams like a St. John Bosco Football or Monteverde Basketball with custom Nike Uniforms and Gear, but that has expanded more and more.

These used to be a rarity, but with the rise of Nike’s “Elite HS” and Adidas following a similar route, we’ve seen high schools start to develop relationships with brands. On the football end, most of the top teams rock Nike, as in 2020 they sent out custom Jordan Uniforms to their top 200 teams nationally. Some notable Florida teams that rock the Jumpman are Palm Beach Central, Miami Northwestern, Lakeland, Dr. Phillips (Orlando), and Venice. Again, for this upcoming season, Nike and Jordan will be sending out more Jordan Uniforms. We are still unsure of how many will be sent out, and what the criteria are. Some confirmed teams are Lakeland and Mililani, (HI).

As for Adidas, they’ve been trying to get in the game as well. Chaminade-Madonna and West Boca Raton, both 2024 FHSAA State Champions are Adidas-wearing squads. The Triple-Stripes are sponsoring a Football Classic between Bergen Catholic and West Boca on September 5th In Boca Raton, FL. Across the collegiate ranks, Texas Tech made the switch from Under Armour to Adidas, while also targeting the Tennessee Volunteers, as their deal with Nike expires in Summer 2026.

Sign Em’ Early?

Nike signature athletes; Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, made headlines last season when they wore Nike shoes while playing at Rutgers…an Adidas sponsored program. Traditionally, the rule has been that no matter what brand an athlete is personally signed to, they must wear their school’s sponsored gear. So, what happened here?

Well, there was actually no deal in place. Rutgers’ contract with Adidas had expired after the 2023–2024 academic year, allowing Dylan and Ace to wear whatever brand they preferred. Earlier this month, we saw Rutgers officially return to being a Nike school.

In addition, we’re seeing more signed high school players commit to colleges affiliated with their brand. Highly ranked point guard Mikel Brown Jr., an Adidas athlete, signed with Louisville, a top Adidas program. Similarly, skilled guard and social media sensation Eli Ellis, an Under Armour athlete, committed to South Carolina, one of UA’s top schools.

With all that in mind, are we heading toward a point where it becomes a guarantee that signed athletes will attend schools backed by their brand?

Brand Persuasion Or Just A Coincidence?

Recently, St John’s acquired Joson Sanon and Ian Jackson, both Adidas athletes, No big deal, right? Well, a few days ago, the Red Storm ended their partnership with Nike and announced they’ll be rocking Adidas for all sports going forward. This is big for Adidas as they now have another Final Four caliber team in their catalog. The question posed here is did Jackson, Sanon, and Adidas provide any push to the Athletic Administration, or is this just something that happened contractually.

Future

The future of NIL and Brand Deals is uncertain but I can guarantee it’s all here to stay. We will see so many more headlines like this in the future and even a big one coming in the upcoming weeks.

Cover Image via SneakerNews/New Balance