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Michigan basketball will change to Jordan Brand from adidas as school announces new Nike deal

John Beilein

AP Photo

AP

The University of Michigan announced a new deal with Nike on Monday which will put the famous swoosh on all Michigan varsity sports teams beginning in August 2016. The deal, which begins August 1, 2016 and lasts until at least 2027, has an option to extend until 2031 as Nike will take over for adidas, who signed a contract with the school in 2007.

While Nike will outfit all 31 Michigan varsity sports with uniforms, footwear, apparel and equipment, the men’s and women’s basketball programs will wear Jordan Brand. This Michigan apparel agreement with Nike is intriguing because not only do we get to see Michigan return to Nike -- the brand which helped catapult the Fab Five into huge money for the University of Michigan -- but we’ll see if this changes anything in regards to recruiting for Michigan basketball.

It’s not a secret in college basketball recruiting that shoe companies would prefer their high school players go to a college with the same apparel, and currently, Nike has the deepest stable of elite basketball prospects in the high school ranks thanks to the growth of the EYBL. While John Beilein and his staff have recruited at a high level, this kind of jump should only help and players want to wear the Jordan Brand “Jumpman” logo.