Nike has so many schools, what does "favored nation"

by BillyGoat , At Thanksgiving with Joe Bethersontin, Thursday, June 11, 2026, 09:43 (1 day, 20 hours, 52 min. ago) @ HullieAndMikes

mean anymore?

I don't doubt that adidas has the advantage in "cleats" globally, but that's going to be based heavily in soccer. I don't know how that technology translates to football.

It's been interesting watching New Balance gain at least an iota of "cool factor" recently. Not sure how close they are to delivering an elite football cleat. Certainly, they have pretty well established themselves in baseball and are on their way to carving out a niche in basketball. I'm not at ALL advocating for them. Just commenting on their change over the past decade to seemingly actively rejecting the idea of "cool" to embracing and then achieving a bit of it.

On the one hand, maybe they have accomplished what UA did for a stretch. They had signed Steph, Spieth, and I think a couple others, and that group went on a heater, which made the brand look amazing. But then the bubble burst.

On the other hand, NB's DNA forever was "substance over form," so I think their broadening their footprint a bit more into "cool" sports culture could be more sustainable, in terms of superstar endorsements and outfitting deals.