The second-ranked Ohio State football team will host No. 5 Oklahoma in a primetime showdown in Columbus on Saturday.
And when the Buckeyes take the field, they'll have LeBron James on their side.
While it remains to be seen whether or not James will make the trek to Columbus to witness the game in person -- as he has done several times throughout his NBA career -- the 4-time NBA MVP appears to have donated another gift to his favorite college football program. On Wednesday night, Ohio State running back Mike Weber posted an image of what appears to be a new LeBron James 'Solider XI' Nike cleat to his personal Snapchat account.
The Buckeyes' official Twitter account confirmed the new shoes in a post on Thursday.
A cleat fit for a King 👑
Introducing the LeBron Soldier XI cleat. @Nike x @KingJames
On field Sat. 7:30P ET ABC #GoBucks #BeatOklahoma pic.twitter.com/OjsfjEwY5G
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 7, 2017Saturday won't mark the first time Ohio State dons the LeBron James logo.
Last November, Ohio State wore a football version of the LeBron 'Soldier 10' shoe in their regular season finale against Michigan, which James and the rest of the Cavaliers attended. In recent years, the Buckeyes have increased the prominence of their relationship with James, especially through his gear, with several players wearing LeBron Ohio State shirts and jackets during their road trip to Indiana last week.
Last spring, Ohio State wide receiver Parris Campbell told LandOf10.com that he wouldn't be surprised to see James' logo show up on the Buckeyes' actual jerseys.
“Oh, definitely,” Campbell said. “I think Phil Knight — the Nike CEO — Coach Meyer and LeBron, they’re all for it. So hopefully they can pull through and get it done.
But for now, the cleats will have to do.
