It might be the most expensive pairs of Air Jordans ever worn. When Marcus Jordan took the floor Wednesday night for the University of Central Florida’s basketball team wearing Air Jordans, school sponsor adidas made it clear to the university that its deal with the school – a five-year contract set to expire next June – is now done.
“The University of Central Florida has chosen not to deliver on their contractual commitment to adidas,” the company said in a statement given to CNBC. “As a result, we have chosen not to continue our relationship with them moving forward.”
Last month, UCF officials said that an adidas official had agreed to allow Michael Jordan’s younger son Marcus to wear the Nike shoes named after his father even though the school had a deal with competitor adidas. But adidas officials, which were working on an extension on a deal with the athletic department, said that they never granted that exemption.
Shoe and apparel contracts with schools normally guarantee that all student-athletes will wear what is made by the contracted shoe and apparel company unless the athlete, for some reason, can’t wear that specific shoe because of medical reasons and a custom shoe can’t be made.
It is not clear how much the school could lose because of the breach of contract. It also is not apparent whether another brand, perhaps Nike or its Jordan brand, will step in to replace the deal, which covered all of the school’s sports.
UCF officials say they have not received any official statement from adidas on the status of the school’s contract.
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