Deion Sanders Announces His Return to Nike
Since accepting the position of head coach for the Colorado Buffaloes, Deion Sanders has quickly turned the NCAA football world upside down. Now "Coach Prime" is coming for the sneaker industry.
Some media members would consider this a Friday news dump, but Sanders always operates on prime time. In a low-key Instagram post, Sanders announced his return to Nike. Sanders posed with a retro pair of the Nike Air Turf Diamond shoes, with the caption, "We coming."
After initially signing with Nike in 1995, it was not uncommon to see Sanders represent the Swoosh on the gridiron and diamond on the same day - with plenty of commercials airing in between. However, after his professional career ended, Sanders became an ambassador for Under Armour in 2009.
In addition to lifting the Jackson State Tigers to new heights during his three seasons as the head coach, Sanders also helped secure a new apparel deal for the school with Under Armour.
But when Sanders was named Colorado's head coach in December 2022, many fans speculated a possible reunion between Nike and their former star athlete. The Buffaloes have been a Nike-sponsored school since 1995, and their current contract with the American brand runs through the 2024-25 athletic year.
Those predictions were confirmed when Sanders wore an upgraded version of his retro signature shoes (the Nike Diamond Turf Max 96) during the Colorado Spring Game in April 2023. It has not taken Sanders long to disrupt college football, and he will soon be a major player in the sneaker industry again.
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