July 12, 2023
Deion Sanders Re-Signs With Nike After Vowing To ‘Never’ Again Work With The Sportswear Conglomerate
Together again!
Sports legend and current University of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has re-signed with sports apparel giant Nike. The former reality TV star announced the move on his Instagram account.
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According to USA Today, the latest news confirms that Sanders’ relationship with Under Armour has ended. The NFL great was involved with the company since 2009.
“Under Armour had a longstanding partnership with Deion Sanders for more than a decade, and we are proud of what we accomplished together,” the company told USA Today in a written statement. “ Now that he has gone on to Colorado, we can’t wait to see him continue to positively impact the game and look forward to watching him find continued success with his new partners, athletes, and expanded communities.”
The University of Colorado, has had an exclusive contract with Nike since 1995. In the contract Sanders signed after leaving Jackson State after three successful seasons he is required to wear Nike gear supplied by the sneaker company.
As a star football player with the Atlanta Falcons, Sanders was contractually committed to Nike in 1992, getting his own signature shoe as well. Nike Air Diamond Turf debuted in 1993, according to Complex. There were follow-up versions of the original: The Air Diamond Turf 2 came out in 1994. The Diamond Turf Max ’96 was released two years later. In 1997, the Air Diamond Turf 4 went on sale, and then the last in the series, the Air Diamond Turf 5, debuted in 1998.
Sanders and Nike parted ways after Sanders stated he wasn’t adequately compensated for designing his own shoe. In 2017, Sanders expressed disappointment in Nike for that and vowed to never work with them again.
“We created these together, but they don’t want to seed me,” he said. “They don’t want to direct deposit.”
Now, “Coach Prime” is back in the fold, one hopes with a deal that makes up for his bitter feelings toward the company.