The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/716367
24 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2016 BY CHRIS BALAS W hen Jim Harbaugh ar- rived in Ann Arbor after accepting the Michigan head coaching job in late December 2014, it took him only two days to tell interim director of athletics Jim Hackett he wanted to go back to Nike from adidas when the contract expired. He had no idea his personal pref- erence would become the latest U-M endeavor to make a national splash. Rather than "just" Nike, the Wolver- ines agreed to become the first football program nationally to use Jordan brand Jumpman gear, signing a $173.8-million deal in March — at the time the larg- est collegiate apparel deal in history. Former Michigan Heisman winner and future NFL Hall of Famer Charles Dressed To Kill Michigan's Switch To Nike Goes Official With Plenty Of Fanfare The new football jerseys donning the Jordan Jumpman logo were unveiled to the public for the first time at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Aug. 2. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN