• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Adidas-Nike Split Won’t Stop Hunter, Sanders From Collaborating

Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders have played together at Colorado for three seasons. While they’re headed in different NFL paths, they still may find a way to work together.

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders will take the field together for the final time as college teammates at the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.

It’s the closing of a big chapter for the close friends, who played together the past two seasons in Boulder, and in 2022 at Jackson State. Once they officially turn professional, Hunter and Sanders will be headed in different directions on multiple fronts.

Both players are projected to be top-five picks in the NFL Draft, making it extremely unlikely they’ll play on the same team as rookies. 

They’ll also be representing different apparel brands both on and off the field. Last week, Hunter signed an endorsement deal with Adidas. That move came despite Hunter’s strong relationship with Sanders, who became Nike’s first college football NIL (name, image, and likeness) athlete in August. The Swoosh also outfits Colorado’s sports teams. 

But despite the division, the agency that represents Hunter and Sanders for off-field business ventures sees opportunities for them to cash in together as pros. 

“Absolutely. It doesn’t end here for them,” SMAC Entertainment cofounder and CEO Constance Schwartz-Morini said when asked about the players working together off the field during an interview with Front Office Sports. “This is a real friendship and family dynamic that won’t end when their time at Colorado’s up.”

How Hunter Chose Adidas

Hunter had an opportunity to potentially sign with Nike, but the Three Stripes ultimately won out.

“He received interest from all the majors,” Schwartz-Morini said of the brands that courted Hunter. “[Adidas] was just who he connected with, and they leaned in to the values that he has and what was important to him and just really understood him.”

Signing Hunter would have given Nike a Colorado trifecta along with Sanders and his father, Deion, who reunited with the brand in 2023 after a stint with Under Armour.

“Travis has had a very clear point of view,” Schwartz-Morini said. “And we really respect what was important to him, and his fiancé, and everybody that they were embracing with the deal.”

Dealmakers

Hunter is ending his collegiate career with a beefy roster of NIL deals:

  • JLab headphones 
  • NerdWallet 
  • United Airlines 
  • Celsius 
  • Overtime
  • Buffalo Wild Wings 
  • EA Sports (a College Football 25 cover athlete)

Schwartz-Morini hopes to transition as many of those NIL deals into professional endorsement pacts as possible but said those conversations won’t begin until January. 

While none of Hunter’s NIL deals had any financial escalators for winning the Heisman, his representatives at SMAC were already meeting on Sunday to discuss how they could use the award to maximize his future value, Schwartz-Morini said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Head coaches Willie Fritz of Houston, Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State, Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia, Lance Leipold of Kansas, Sonny Dykes of TCU, Kyle Whittingham of Utah, Brent Brennan of Arizona and Deion Sanders of Colorado all sit on stage for a Coaches Roundtable during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star.

Big 12 Commish: Conference Is ‘All In’ on International Expansion

The conference had once planned a large initiative in Mexico.

U.K. Appoints New Soccer Regulator, EPL Matches Stay Behind Paywall

Men’s soccer in England will receive new levels of oversight.

Jokić Declined a Contract Extension, but the Nuggets Shouldn’t Panic

Jokić still has three years remaining on his current contract.

NFL’s Alternate Uniforms Fuel Big Business—and Lots of Nostalgia

The Commanders kick off a run of new NFL helmets and uniforms.

Featured Today

Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
Sebastian Rivera (R) tf. Danny Coles 6:47 (20-3). Rutgers University Wrestling vs Princeton in Piscataway, NJ on February 18, 2022.

The House Settlement Is Being Appealed. It Won’t Stop Revenue-Sharing—for Now

The settlement’s approval on June 6 triggered an appeals process.
TSU Hockey at Bridgestone
July 8, 2025

Tennessee State’s HBCU Hockey Ambitions Delayed at Least a Year

The school will not launch the first-of-its-kind program as intended.
July 9, 2025

Big Ten, Big 12 Commissioners Remain Far Apart on CFP’s Future

A decision on expansion must be made by December.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Louis, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Nicholas DeGraves (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Boston University Terriers during the third period of the Frozen Four college ice hockey national semifinals at Enterprise Center
July 7, 2025

Gavin McKenna’s Penn State Commitment Cements College Hockey Supremacy

Gavin McKenna’s Penn State decision signals hockey’s rising stars now prefer college.
A helmt is seen during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
July 7, 2025

CFB’s Revenue-Sharing Era Muddles Future of NIL, Adds PE Questions

Athletic departments can pay college athletes a combined $20.5 million this year.
Nov 30, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders running back Tahj Brooks (28) runs the ball against West Virginia Mountaineers defensive back Anthony Wilson Jr. (12) in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field.
July 7, 2025

Felix Ojo’s Agent Says Texas Tech Offered $5.1M At Start of Rev-Share..

Texas Tech secured Ojo with a seven-figure NIL commitment.
July 6, 2025

Revenue-Sharing Chaos Begins as Texas Tech Secures Five-Star OT

The Red Raiders spent more than $10 million in the winter transfer portal.