Notre Dame Football: Notre Dame Could Sign With Under Armour In 2015

Mar 21, 2013; Dayton, OH, USA; A general view of the Adidas lime green camouflage Notre Dame Fighting Irish shoes during practice the day before the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at University of Dayton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame Football

Notre Dame Football has been outfitted by Adidas since 2001. In 2005, they signed a 10-year, $60 million exclusive deal with Adidas. Following the 2014 season, that contract will expire unless the two reach a deal before then. According to Uni-Watch, Under Armour is the leading candidate for the Notre Dame athletics contract.

Under Armour is currently exclusive outfitter for Auburn, Boston College, Northwestern, South Carolina and others. Exclusive deals are crucial for athletic departments. Former Notre Dame Athletic Director Kevin White said when the previous deal was signed:

"The ability to outfit every one of those participants with shoes and apparel through this relationship — and at the same time subsidize grant-in-aid expenses which comprise one-third of our budget — has a major impact in terms of providing assistance to our student-athletes."

Nike is currently the leading the supplier of collegiate teams. However, Notre Dame would likely never deal with Nike because of the suspicion surrounding their corporate responsibility. The University of Notre Dame famously a policy not to sell anything that has been made in China. Therefore, whoever takes on the Fighting Irish as a partner must be willing to adjust their own policies to fit with the Universities.

Obviously, Nike is considered “the coolest” brand for young athletes selecting schools. However, this is probably a minimal factor in a recruits decision making process. Oregon has built an entire football powerhouse on uniforms. So, maybe they play a larger role than people would believe.

Regardless of who wins the Notre Dame contract sweepstakes in 2015, the jerseys will still be blue and the pants will still be gold. All that is stake is millions of dollars and a small logo on the upper corner of the jersey.