Penn State and adidas Announce Landmark Partnership Starting in 2026 – Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Athletics and adidas have introduced a transformational, 10-year partnership that can see adidas turn into the official footwear, uniform, attire and sideline associate of the Nittany Lions.

This groundbreaking attire partnership unites the Nittany Lions’ storied legacy of 84 nationwide championships and 327 convention championships with adidas’ industry-leading innovation and imaginative and prescient. The union creates a dedication to elevating the student-athlete expertise, enhancing fan engagement and increasing the attain of the Penn State model. The settlement is efficient July 1, 2026.

“Penn State Athletics has been blessed with incredible partners throughout our history, but today, we step into a bold new era,” stated Patrick Kraft, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics at Penn State University. “From the field to the court, the mat to the pitch, this partnership goes far beyond uniforms, it is unlike anything else in the marketplace. adidas is making an unprecedented commitment to Penn State: delivering record investment in our department, groundbreaking NIL and marketing opportunities, and access to technology and innovation that no other program can match. This agreement sets a new industry standard, fueling championship performances, empowering our student-athletes to grow their personal brands, and creating unmatched platforms for them to shine on the national and global stage. Together, we’re building something that will transform what’s possible for Penn State Athletics and for every student-athlete who wears the Blue & White.”

In 2024-25 alone, the Nittany Lions gained two nationwide championships, a CFP semifinal berth, three nationwide semifinal appearances, seven convention championships and 18 NCAA Championship or playoff appearances. Penn State units the championship normal in competitors and within the classroom with 423 Academic All-Big Ten choices and 150 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars in 2024-25, and a Graduation Success Rate of 90% or increased in every of the final eight years. The championship potential solely grows by pairing Penn State student-athletes with adidas’ best-in-class efficiency gear and progressive know-how.

“adidas is committed to partnering with universities like Penn State that possess rich tradition and championship potential in equal measure. We see this new agreement as a unique opportunity for us to help shape the next chapter of Penn State Athletics while staying true to everything that makes the Nittany Lions an iconic brand,” stated John Miller, adidas President, North America.

These two international manufacturers are becoming a member of forces to form the way forward for school athletics, working in tandem to offer student-athletes top-of-the-line product and advertising alternatives that meaningfully drive superior efficiency and championships. Though this can be a new relationship, adidas already has Blue & White in its DNA with its ongoing partnerships with Nittany Lion soccer alumni Micah Parsons, Abdul Carter and former Penn State Women’s Volleyball standout and two-time nationwide champion setter, Micha Hancock.

“Penn State helped mold me into the man I am today, and I’ve experienced firsthand how adidas invests in their athletes with the same championship mindset I adopted in Happy Valley. This partnership is about refusing to settle for anything less than the best for my fellow Nittany Lions — I can’t wait to watch us dominate in the Three Stripes,” stated adidas associate and Penn State alum, Micah Parsons.

In the lead as much as the partnership’s official graduation in 2026, Penn State and adidas shall be prioritizing high-impact NIL agreements and model advertising campaigns for student-athletes throughout all 31 sports activities, together with the defending nationwide champion girls’s volleyball and wrestling packages.

“We are excited to partner with Penn State to equip all 800-plus Nittany Lion student-athletes with top-of-the-line products and industry-leading NIL opportunities. They’ll join adidas’ robust roster of athlete partners, including Penn State alums Micah Parsons and Abdul Carter, who’ve seen firsthand our commitment to realizing their aspirations both on and off the field,” stated Chris McGuire, adidas Vice President of Sports Marketing, North America.

Once the partnership begins, all 800-plus Penn State student-athletes shall be eligible to take part in adidas’ wide-ranging NIL Ambassador Network, which supplies all student-athletes at adidas-partnered Division I colleges the prospect to learn from their Name, Image and Likeness.

The energy of the 800,000 dwelling Penn State alumni mixed with adidas’ dedication to dynamic retail and fan engagement will encourage the creation of a broader assortment of Penn State fan attire and footwear when the partnership formally begins subsequent summer season.

About adidas

adidas is a worldwide chief within the sporting items {industry}. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany, the corporate employs greater than 62,000 individuals throughout the globe and generated gross sales of €23.7 billion in 2024. For extra info, please go to www.adidas-Group.com.

About Penn State Athletics

Under the management of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Patrick Kraft, Penn State has one of many nation’s most complete and profitable athletic packages, that includes 800-plus student-athletes throughout 31 varsity packages (16 males’s, 15 girls’s). The Nittany Lions’ 31 packages are tied for the fourth-highest variety of sports activities sponsored by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) establishment.

Penn State student-athletes earned a record-tying 93% NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and 11 packages earned excellent 100% rankings within the 2024 report. This is the eighth consecutive 12 months the Nittany Lions have posted a report or record-tying efficiency within the classroom. Penn State is one in every of solely eight colleges which have gained at the least 10 NCAA Championships since 2013 and earned at the least a 90% GSR within the 2024 NCAA report (California, Florida, North Carolina, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Virginia).