Would Switching To Nike Help With Future Recruiting?

[shadow force]

Do you think if UofL basketball switched to Nike that the overall recruiting would improve? Most of the top recruits are with Nike/Jordan brand. Even Pitino, with all of UofL's facilities, history, resources, and him being a top big name coach could never bring in top rated guys- or at least with any consistency.

I'm not talking about trying to emulate duke/uk and becoming one and done U, but adding a couple of top rated guys every year with a mix of talented multi-year players seems to be the way to go. It might be a moot point right now because the Adidas contract is still ongoing for several more years, but just wanted to hear your opinions on this matter.

 

[KerryRhodes]

Defending champion Kansas is Adidas and doesnt have any " legal" recruiting problems.

uofk and duke have one final four between them since 2015 despite dominating the top 5 or higher in recruiting.

Adidas is fine.

 

[shadow force]

Kansas, for the most part, is the exception not the rule.

If switching basketball to Nike would allow access to more top recruits I think it should at least be looked at when the Adidas contract comes up.

Oh and before anyone brings it up, Mack and Payne most definitely aren't Pitino. They, and almost every other coach that could be brought in here in the future, would need more talent to win big.

 

[OldhamCard335]

Yes…we should burn the agreement with Adidas if only for the recruiting fiasco. Right now we need evert recruiting advantage we can get.

 

[nccardfan]

Do you think if UofL basketball switched to Nike that the overall recruiting would improve? Most of the top recruits are with Nike/Jordan brand. Even Pitino, with all of UofL's facilities, history, resources, and him being a top big name coach could never bring in top rated guys- or at least with any consistency.

I'm not talking about trying to emulate duke/uk and becoming one and done U, but adding a couple of top rated guys every year with a mix of talented multi-year players seems to be the way to go. It might be a moot point right now because the Adidas contract is still ongoing for several more years, but just wanted to hear your opinions on this matter.

No, I don't believe so because then we would always run behind UK and Duke and now Texas who owns the biggest Nike contract. We would just become another school in a long list of schools sponsored by Nike. As long as Adidas remains a viable sports company, it is a benefit to be one of the top schools to endorse them as oppose to just one of many that endorse Nike. Adidas recently started rewarding college athletes that endorse them with $50,000 contracts.

Surprisely, Adidas has as many pro athletes (5) that endorse basketball shoes as Nike. Mitchell is one of them and Trae Young is up and coming.

 

[Thecycle27]

It has been very odd with basketball and Adidas. It hasn’t led to hardly anything on the recruiting trail at Louisville. Even Pitino didn’t have a ton of success recruiting elite guys.

 

[glassmanJ]

It has been very odd with basketball and Adidas. It hasn’t led to hardly anything on the recruiting trail at Louisville. Even Pitino didn’t have a ton of success recruiting elite guys.

exactly, and the funny thing is the highest profile guys RP crecruited here either never came, ie telfair, amir johnson, bender?, or they flopped horribly like character and blackshear, or they were part of the scandal, ie harrell, smith & behanan . but for the most part we never have gotten top 20 guys and that seems obvious then that adidas has never really benefitted us other than maybe we got more $ from them compared to nike which would benefit entire program. so from that probably better to be w/ adidas but from bball perspective probably hinders us. and simple reality is nike prefers duke and uk as they are the two top tv audiences and thus their brands is always on tv. all about the duckets

 

[bigloucards]

Yes…we should burn the agreement with Adidas if only for the recruiting fiasco. Right now we need evert recruiting advantage we can get.

💯The way Adidas handled the Bowen recruitment is reason enough for me

 

[bigloucards]

Kansas, for the most part, is the exception not the rule.

If switching basketball to Nike would allow access to more top recruits I think it should at least be looked at when the Adidas contract comes up.

When does the current contract with adidas end?
Just searched it and it appears that it won’t come up until 2027!

 

[the artist FKA zipp]

Not that anyone cares, but how would we replace the $5-10 million annually that such a switch would cost us?

I guess you can go from really bankrupt to really, really bankrupt...

 

[Thecycle27]

Well something is up with football we will have to see how that plays out. I don’t think you switch if football recruits like this consistently. The reality is Louisville has to obtain talent in both sports. If they don’t they will always have a money problems because neither will be elite on the field-court without it.

The other anomaly is women’s basketball. As good as he has been he still doesn’t get a ton of 5 stars.

 

[CardinalDave]

I distinctly remember Phil Knight(Nike CEO)in the locker room celebrating uk’s last title. At the time I couldnt believe more folks didn’t say anything about it as I thought it indicative of what we all knew was going on.
When Louisville win the 2013 title the adidas CEO was not in our locker room (that I am aware of).

 

[Thecycle27]

Switching to Nike doesn’t guarantee they would shift players for UK or Duke. I am not convinced that is the answer. I think KP is going to have to fully embrace NIL.

 

[shadow force]

Switching to Nike doesn’t guarantee they would shift players for UK or Duke. I am not convinced that is the answer. I think KP is going to have to fully embrace NIL.

You're right, there is no guarantee that Nike would do that. It just seems that not being Nike automatically makes the Cards shut out from the top players no matter what.

But NIL might be something of an equalizer if utilized well. That will probably be the way to go as the Adidas contract goes on for 5 more years anyway.

 

[Mike'sMarbles]

I think Adidas is going to help us any way they can because they want to stay in the game and they're barely in it. They need us to be successful and that can only help us.

 

[I Hate BBN]

I have always wished that Louisville was with Nike now after what happened with Adidas I don’t even know why we are still with them. Money talks I guess

 

[Thecycle27]

To most of us basketball is the reason we are Louisville fans. Louisville at its core is a basketball school. However things change. Louisville basketball funded all Louisville sports for a long time. The has shifted to football. Football now is the money maker.

Adidas according to some is the reason for this recruiting bonanza. If that is the case you don’t move from Adidas. Kenny Payne has to figure out NIL or I fear he won’t make it. His position on the surface is very concerning. He is not paying attention to reality. Does he see something other aren’t or really naive. I am afraid it is the later. In some ways it is equivalent to Crum not embracing the 3 point line. It changed the game like NIL is doing. All his brothers better get in his ear.

 

[EKYCard643]

Would Switching To Nike Help With Future Recruiting?​

Yes.