Nike goes back to its roots, signs historic NIL deal with Oregon high school track star

On July 3, Nike signed an NIL deal with track star Mia Brahe-Pedersen.

On one hand, the deal was historic, marking the first time a high school track athlete signed a deal with Nike. However, it also is about history, as Nike is a company built on Oregon track stars.

Mia Brahe-Pedersen is heading into her junior year of high school and is the No. 1 high school track recruit in the country out of Lake Oswego, Oregon. The 5-foot-9 sprinter has set records in the 100 meters (11.00 seconds) and 200 meters (22.43 seconds) and won multiple national championships.

Brahe-Pedersen eventually plans to run track in college, but once her state changed the NIL rules to allow high school athletes to sign deals, Nike came calling.

“Being with Nike, it’s a big honor,” Brahe-Pedersen told MileSplit.com. “They have a reputation to protect. And the fact that they are willing to invest in me and bet on my future. They see potential in me. That means a lot.”

That Nike reputation is built on Oregon track athletes.

Co-founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman were both born in Portland, Oregon and met and created Blue Ribbon Sports (Nike’s first name) when Knight ran track and Bowerman was his coach at the University of Oregon. And first premier athlete the brand endorsed was Coos Bay, Oregon native, and Oregon Ducks track legend, Steve Prefontaine.

Now, Mia Brahe-Pedersen joins Nike’s rich Oregon track tradition and makes (more) high school track history in the process.

Next for Brahe-Pedersen is competing in the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. The high schooler is competing in the 100m and the 200m in the senior division against the likes of well-known stars like Sha’Carri Richardson, Aleia Hobbs, and Tamari Davis. If she performs well, she could qualify for the U.S. senior team heading for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.