The Penn State football team is set not to have a lot of drama on the field this year, given how dominant they have a chance to be, but some drama is happening off the field with the Penn State apparel line. There are some reports that the Nittany Lions plan to change brands from Nike to Adidas after over thirty years with Nike.
According to On3's College Football Insider Brett McMurphy, the Nittany Lions' change is on the horizon, but it's not official yet. They are waiting for approval from the Board of Trustees. The move is shocking due to how long Penn State football and the entire athletic department have been associated with Nike.
“Penn State will switch from Nike to Adidas, pending approval from the school’s Board of Trustees, sources told On3,” McMurphy said. “Penn State’s been a Nike school since 1993.”
This will be the latest major program to move from Adidas. We recently saw the Tennessee Volunteers do something similar, signing a 10-year deal with Adidas in mid-August. Adidas's addition of a significant program from the SEC is now followed up by snagging one of the Big Ten’s most recognizable brands.
This also comes after South Carolina switched from Adidas and joined Nike starting in the 2026 athletic season. They lost a big brand, but are gaining two giant brands in exchange for losing the Gamecocks.
Penn State signed on with Nike in 1993, coinciding with the Nittany Lions' joining the Big Ten. A ton of success has followed, including four conference championships. Trips to the Rose Bowl have occurred four times, two of which resulted in victories, all while the Penn State football program was associated with Nike.
Assuming that the Board of Trustees approves the deal, Adidas hopes for just as much success in its partnership with Nike, which is expected to lead to massive sales for both sides.
Nothing is official yet, but assuming this is all finalized soon, it's massive apparel news as the 2025 college football season kicks off.
The Nittany Lions pummelled Nevada in Week 1, 46-11, in a game that was never close. However, head coach James Franklin said that the performance was not perfect. He specifically pinpointed that their kickoff coverage needs work, but other than that, they played great and can focus on cleaning that up in Week 2 against FIU.
