downgrade. If you're buying your own gear, Nike is almost always the most expensive and nicest stuff you can get, and Nike is thought of by most athletes, especially football players, as the gold standard for sports gear. I know it sounds stupid, but if you're outfitted by anyone else, a lot of good athletes would consider it akin to getting their gear from Wal-Mart. VT agreeing to wear Adidas or, God forbid, Under Armour stuff, would be a terrible decision, even if Nike is giving, say, Ohio State more gear/money. For BC, being outfitted by New Balance makes a lot of sense, because (1) New Balance is HQ'ed in Boston; and (2) BC Athletics is not a serious organization.