Sept. 22, 2004

The University of Tennessee Athletics Department announced Wednesday a letter of intent has been signed to renew its contract with adidas for five additional years. The new contract, which should be finalized within the next 30 days, runs from July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2010.

"adidas has been a valuable partner for our program," said Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton. "They have been very responsive to the needs of our student-athletes, and we look forward to working with them for the next five years.

The university is in the ninth year of a 10-year contract with adidas. The contract allows all 20 of the school's intercollegiate athletic teams to wear the same footwear, uniforms and apparel.

Financial terms of the deal will be released upon finalization of the contract.