Jordan’s son refuses to wear adidas for college team

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- A fight over the shoes Michael Jordan's son will wear at the University of Central Florida could cost the school financially...

TheGrio Staff

Oct 23, 2009

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — A fight over the shoes Michael Jordan’s son will wear at the University of Central Florida could cost the school financially.

First-year guard Marcus Jordan is refusing to wear shoes made by adidas, the brand the university has a contract with for all its sports. He says he will wear only his father’s Nike Air Jordan shoes because they hold special meaning to his family.

The problem is UCF is in the final year of its contract with adidas that requires coaches and athletes to use the company’s apparel and equipment. UCF says its five-year deal with adidas ends on June 30, 2010.

There have been media reports that UCF is negotiating a new deal that could be worth up to $3 million and last up to six years.

UCF said in a statement on Thursday that adidas was aware of the situation during contract renewal discussions. The university says it was “led to believe that there would be a workable solution to a unique situation.”