FanHouse Marcus Jordan

Take it from the pioneer who started this idea of cozy, contractual relationships between the shoe giants and the NCAA schools: adidas has screwed up this time.

Sonny Vaccaro speaks from experience.

"What a PR nightmare for adidas. This should have been a no-brainer,'' Vaccaro said. "It's nothing but a personal thing against Michael Jordan.''

At issue is the recent decision by adidas to severe its relationship with the University of Central Florida, which has a contract that requires all of its athletes and coaches to wear adidas products.

So you think Air Jordans are expensive? The pair Marcus Jordan put on Wednesday night cost $3 million.

That's what his school's exclusive deal with adidas was worth. Now adidas has canceled the contract, and UCF athletes may have to play in their Crocs.

If we didn't know better -- and we don't -- we'd say it's all a Nike conspiracy.

It wanted adidas to make a stink over Jordan's feet so it can swoosh in on a white horse. But until that plot is exposed, we'll take this rift face value.

That means only one person can truly save the day.

Come on, Marcus. Put on the adidas.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A fight over the shoes Michael Jordan's son will wear at the University of Central Florida has cost the school any future sponsorship with adidas.

"The University of Central Florida has chosen not to deliver on their contractual commitment to adidas," adidas spokeswoman Andrea Corso wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "As a result we have chosen not to continue our relationship with them moving forward."

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard didn't exactly toe the Adidas party line, but he did offer a bit of advice Tuesday for young Marcus Jordan -- son of Michael Jordan -- when it comes to his dilemma over which brand of shoe to wear for his freshman season at the nearby University of Central Florida.

Jordan has been caught in the middle of the Nike/Adidas shoe battle that is being waged over his feet.

Because of his father's long-time business tie-in with Nike, Jordan had planned on wearing nothing but Nikes during his college career, much like he has since he started walking.

The University athletic department, though, has a contract worth close to $3 million annually that gives them exclusive rights to provide the shoes and apparel for all intercollegiate athletes and coaches on campus.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- He may be the son of the most famous basketball player in history, but Marcus Jordan has done everything he possibly can to blend in smoothly -- to be just one of the guys -- with his new teammates at the University of Central Florida.

Everything except change his shoes.

Jordan, a freshman who will begin practicing Thursday with the UCF Knights, will stick with Nike -- which Michael Jordan made famous -- despite the school's lucrative contract with adidas that requires all intercollegiate athletes and coaches to wear its brand.

Central Florida's basketball program recently landed two Chicago-area players for next year's recruiting class -- one of whom has very ample basketball bloodlines. Marcus Jordan -- yes, that Jordan's son -- and Nik Garcia both orally committed to play for the Knights on Monday.

Jordan, the second son of Michael Jordan, helped his team win a State championship in March, and he grew up playing club basketball with Garcia. Jordan will join former teammate, A.J. Rompza, who made Conference USA's all-freshman team this past season, so they'll enter with some familiarity.