'It kind of pops your eyes open a little bit' — Tony Vitello provides jaw-dropping example of why Tennessee Vols had no choice but to leave Nike for Adidas

"We signed the best player out of the state of Oregon, and Nike made a pitch at him to stay at Oregon," Vitello said. "Kruz Schoolcraft is his name. The story ends in an unfortunate way for Vol fans because he gets drafted in the first round and won't make it here. In visiting him, I didn't realize Adidas' headquarters [are] right there where Nike's headquarters are, which is pretty interesting. But when you're up there, again, that recruitment of Kruz, Oregon has in their back pocket the wild card. They are the Nike school, and they're blessed. How many kids have gone there, especially for football, just because that was the swing factor? And so, when you talk about us being the Oregon school for Adidas, it kind of pops your eyes open a little bit. It strengthens the brand, which has already been strong for decades, of University of Tennessee athletics, Lady Vols and our athletics."

Schoolcraft ultimately ended up hearing his name called early in the 2025 MLB Draft last month, going to the San Diego Padres with the 25th pick, which predictably ended his chances of coming to Knoxville to play for Vitello. It was always a long shot to get him on campus, so that's not a major surprise.

But finding out that the company whose mark you wear on your uniforms is working to deter a difference-making recruit to another school, one that they have always been closely tied to? Talk about playing second fiddle in the case of Tennessee there.

The choice was already an obvious one with the big bump in money (including NIL contributions to the university) and them making Tennessee a flagship program for them. This is just additional proof that the move was a true no brainer for the university.