The Univ. of Michigan has “no plans to break” its contract with adidas prematurely "despite some turbulence in the relationship,” according to Kyle Meinke of ANNARBOR.com. UM AD Dave Brandon said that the school will “honor the contract, which runs through the 2016-17 season, but could engage in negotiations toward the agreement's end.” UM has “prospered from the deal, believed to be the richest of its kind.” Brandon also noted recently that the deal will net UM "upwards" of $80M. Initial reports estimated the eight-year agreement at $60M to "lure Michigan away from Nike" in '07. But there have been “bumps as well, notably allegations that Adidas engaged in unfair labor practices in Indonesia.” UM has “incurred problems with the company's product as well.” In the past year, the school's football uniforms at the Outback Bowl “featured numbers that were difficult to read in the Florida sun, and the men's basketball team had several issues with ripped jerseys.” The team “actually had to revert to its 2011-12 away jerseys for a stretch because so many of the 2012-13 tops had ripped, and replacements were slow to arrive.” Still, the football team's "Under The Lights" alternate jerseys were “highly acclaimed” and “remain a staple around Ann Arbor” (ANNARBOR.com, 5/20).
