Exclusive: NC State extends partnership with Adidas, runs through 2032

As universities have shuffled apparel deals this offseason, including Georgia Tech agreeing to leave Adidas for Under Armour, and a pair of Nike schools — Penn State and Tennessee — that are now three stripes bound, NC State will not be one of the programs leaving its current manufacturer.

The Wolfpack extended its current deal with Adidas through June 30, 2032, according to documents obtained by TheWolfpacker.com via a Freedom of Information Act request. The exact dollar figures for the new deal were redacted within the contract, a common practice with collegiate apparel agreements due to “trade secrets.” 

The extension was signed by NC State Chancellor Kevin Howell on Aug. 19, while Wolfpack Athletic Director Boo Corrgian’s signature appears underneath. Adidas Vice President of Sports Marketing Chris McGuire and Paul Ehrlich, the company’s general counsel, signed the deal a week later on Aug. 26.

NC State’s exclusive relationship with Adidas dates back to 2012, when former Athletic Director Debbie Yow inked the initial all-sports contract between the two sides, a three-year contract worth about $8 million. The Wolfpack later signed a six-year, $38.7 million extension in 2015, while it was expected to sign another in 2022. A public announcement wasn’t made for the latter contract, which TheWolfpacker.com has an outstanding FOIA request in for a copy of.

Adidas has become synonymous with NC State in recent years. The company has provided several one-off uniforms for the football program, including the “City of Oaks” jersey and helmet combination that the team donned in its season-opening win over East Carolina to kick off the 2025 campaign. Men’s and women’s basketball, meanwhile, have also received special edition uniforms, including throwbacks for Will Wade’s program, and a Play4Kay combination for Wes Moore’s bunch.

While it has served as the university’s exclusive apparel manufacturer, Adidas has created a pipeline of relationships with NC State athletes. The company signed cross country and track star Katelyn Tuohy, the four-time NCAA champion, when she turned professional in 2023, while it recently inked nine-time All-America selection Sam Bush to a professional contract in September.

In addition to professional contracts, Adidas has also inked several Wolfpack athletes to NIL deals, including men’s basketball standouts DJ Burns and DJ Horne during the 2024 Final Four run, women’s basketball stars Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers in the midst of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers, who signed his deal earlier this fall as the ACC’s leading rusher.

NC State’s new contract with Adidas contains a redacted amount for its marketing commitment each year in the deal, which includes “NIL Activities” to go with marketing activations, facility investments, and promotions.

Although the exact dollar amounts of the new Adidas apparel deal were not made available by NC State, apparel deals have become increasingly more fruitful this offseason. Penn State’s new deal with Adidas has been reported to be worth about $300 million, while Georgia Tech’s agreement with Under Armour is expected to be “nearly six-times more than the average annual amount” that Adidas paid the Yellow Jackets.

This story will be updated.