Report: Notre Dame to explore apparel options with expiring Under Armour deal
It’s been nearly a decade since Notre Dame student-athletes wore uniforms from an apparel company other than Under Armour. That could change soon.
According to a report from Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger, Notre Dame will explore options other than Under Armour now that the exclusive negotiating window with UA has expired. Under Armour took over for Adidas as Notre Dame’s apparel supplier in 2014. The two sides signed a 10-year contract worth $90 million according to SI.
Notre Dame is not limited to new suitors. The Irish could ink a deal with Under Armour again if that’s the direction athletics director Jack Swarbrick and the rest of the administration wants to go. Fans have been clamoring for a change for quite some time now, though. Nike and Adidas have taken a stranglehold on the apparel game in recent years.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman just visited the Under Armour headquarters in Baltimore last week. Under Armour marketing executive Charece Williams greeted Freeman and his traveling crew at the airport before bringing the group to the facility. UA founder and executive chairman Kevin Plank hosted the party on the tour.
Freeman sat down with members of the product design team and provided feedback on what Under Armour has in the works for future product lines for both coaches on the sideline and players on the field. Freeman met with CEO Stephanie Linnartz and UA Director, Chairman of the Board and Athlete Storytelling Kevin McDermond later in the day.
In 2019, Forbes released an article detailing the most lucrative apparel contracts in the country. Under Armour had four of the top 10 spots, including No. 1. That belonged to UCLA with a deal spanning from 2017-32 with an average annual value of $12.76 million. That deal was canceled last July, though. UCLA received a settlement of $67.5 million and replaced UA with Nike’s Jordan Brand, which is worn by several big-name programs including Michigan and Oklahoma.
Six years ago, Under Armour was still willing to shell out cash on college contracts. That has changed in recent years. The company has dealt with falling sales and stock prices. So while Freeman’s tour of headquarters had to have been exciting, don’t be surprised if a new company gets together with Notre Dame, one of the most valuable college football brands in the country.
