Adidas is commonly known as the three stripes, but perhaps we should alter the German apparel conglomerate's nickname to the three strikes.
After watching Notre Dame depart for Under Armour and Tennessee leave for Nike, The Wolverine reported Monday that Michigan will follow suit and return to Nike, a move that is set to be announced "in the next few days."
Let's go live to the Michigan fan base for its reaction:
(While losing those three schools, we must note Adidas has managed to pull Arizona State and Miami from Nike of late. Still, a net loss for the company.) Michigan's move away from Adidas has long been speculated, and the only real intrigue left is just how many millions Michigan will receive for the move. The guess here is that Michigan will become Nike's highest-paid school - the Wolverines' reported $8.2 million annual cut from Adidas far exceeded Nike's highest payout - but the deal will not top the more than $90 million that Notre Dame received from Under Armour. Nabbing Michigan gives Nike a stranglehold on power programs in the Big Ten East (Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State already wear the swoosh), and owning the Big Ten East not only gives you the highly-populated eastern portion of the midwest, it gives you a gateway to the Eastern Seaboard. And with Michigan's deal now reportedly done, attention turns to the last big fish left on the apparel market: Texas. 3:59 p.m. ET Update: The move is now official.