For Adidas and rivals, sponsorships are good business

FILE- In this Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017 file photo, Detroit Lions running back Ameer Abdullah wears adidas cleats before an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals in Detroit. Multi-million dollar sponsor partnerships between sports equipment companies and U.S. university athletic programs _ like the one between Adidas and the University of Louisville _ are a key weapon in the battle for sales and profits in the world’s largest economy. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)