Football is just a game… right?

Nike is one of the most recognizable corporations in the world. Someone named Michael Jordan gave a rise in fame to the company in the early 90s and ever since, a curved check mark could be seen on people’s shoes/clothes/hats/shirts/everything around the globe. Now, the multibillion dollar corporation is constantly looking for new platforms to showcase their product.

Why not college football?

Millions of people tune in to watch student athletes perform every Saturday in the fall, and Nike, along with other companies, has seized the opportunity to get their products seen.

In the 2011 season, several teams have already displayed striking new decor, with the likes of Oregon, Boise State, Michigan State, Georgia and Stanford among the Nike clients.

Under Armour and Adidas also have staked property in dressing college football teams.

While some people are skeptical about many schools’ switch from traditional uniforms to the new-age innovated look, many are excited about the hype.

Coaches and fans feel like new game-day garb is essential to gaining viewership and more importantly, recruits. Superficial as it may seem, if a touted high school recruit is struggling to choose between two different schools, the view is that they will lean towards the school with a cooler uniform. Image is everything.

In the constantly evolving world of recruiting, this is a giant new development, because schools are always looking for a leg up on their competition. Could we be looking at a huge corporation takeover of a college sports league? Maybe. Nike already has over a dozen contracts with NCAA division 1 schools, and at the current pace, could have double that in the next few years.

With recruiting and more importantly, the obtaining of revenue being extremely competitive in the college football market, schools will want to do whatever they can to make a buck. Better recruits lead to more wins, and more wins leads to more money.

Nike and other major corporations are in the drivers seat, as they have a product that inevitably everyone will want to have on their players bodies. Is this a good thing? It is if you ask Phil Knight.