Report: South Carolina expected to leave Under Armour, announce new athletic apparel deal with Nike

The South Carolina athletic department is expected to announce a new apparel deal with Nike on Friday, according to a report by the Post and Courier. The move to Nike will come as the Gamecocks’ 10-year deal with Under Armour comes to an end next summer.

South Carolina fans can expect to see Nike’s famous “Swoosh” logo on Gamecocks athletic gear beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, per the Post and Courier. The South Carolina Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for 9 am ET on Friday with a single agenda item: “Athletics Department: Apparel Agreement,” according to the Post and Courier.

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The Gamecocks have been with Under Armour since 2007, originally agreeing to a six-year football-only contract with the apparel company worth $10.8 million, per the Post and Courier. Under Armour expanded to include all South Carolina athletic sports as the other programs “began phasing out Russell Athletic, Adidas and Nike in their own individual contracts.” That Under Armour deal was later amended in 2010 with a new six-year contract totaling $19 million.

Details on South Carolina’s apparel contract with Under Armour

Under its current agreement with Under Armour, South Carolina has been provided apparel since June 30, 2016, and it will run through June 30, 2026. There was some pretty significant cash involved in that deal, too. The Gamecocks got a $2 million signing bonus, which went along with $24.5 million in rights fees. South Carolina baseball had an additional $500,000 in rights fees. Then, there was $44.5 million in product allowance.

Notably, the current deal that South Carolina has with Under Armour does have an interesting note. It prohibits the school from meeting with or negotiating another apparel deal with a competitor more than 180 days out from the end of the agreement. That’s January 1, 2026.

On top of that, Under Armour has the right of first refusal. That means that if South Carolina were to receive a competing offer, Under Armour has the ability to match that agreement within 15 days. If they do match the agreement, then the school is obligated to re-sign with Under Armour.

Recently, in the SEC, Tennessee made the decision to leave Nike for adidas. In that agreement, the school will be paid $1.2 million in base compensation in 2025-26 and $4.5 million in annual product allotment. On top of that, the agreement calls for a multi-million dollar NIL component. That means NIL opportunities for athletes at Tennessee through Adidas.

Now, it will be interesting to see if South Carolina looks for a new apparel deal that is structured similarly to the one Tennessee signed with Adidas.

— On3’s Dan Morrison contributed to this report.