Under Armour/Notre Dame Partnership Set for Lift Off
By S B Flood
Oct 19, 2013; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly leads players into Notre Dame Stadium with the Hesburgh Library Word of Life Mural aka Touchdown Jesus before the game against the Southern California Trojans. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Earlier this year, Notre Dame signed on to become the thirteenth university outfitted with Under Armour apparel, ending the 17-year relationship with Adidas. The contract with Under Armour is for the next ten years and is worth 90 million dollars, as part of the biggest apparel partnership in NCAA history. Under Armour is known for unique color combinations and patterns on their merchandise, but also for its quality, adaption of technology and creating a purpose.
What should fans expect from the new outfitter?
Well, not too much different from what you will see on the field initially. Regarding the uniforms, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank said, “We’re looking for clean, bold and consistent looks.”
Plank also mentioned that, “Texas Tech is different from Maryland is different from Notre Dame. We don’t have to invent any new history. We don’t have to tell any new stories. Notre Dame is quite simply Notre Dame.”
What else it means for Notre Dame is a fresh step into a new partnership with different exposure. Although Under Armour does not outfit teams in the NFL, the brand is used for the NFL Combine, and is also feverishly growing across the high school sport-camp landscape as more and more recruits are growing up with the brand’s familiarity.
In Notre Dame, Under Armour had partnered with a global brand as part of a plan to continue to grow the company. Under Armour’s stock rose from $41.80 on January 28th, just days after the announcement, all the way up to $54.05 by January 31st. As of June 27th, the stock closed at $59.49. In April, it was reported that 2014 projected sales forecast rose to $2.91 billion
All of this build up had lead to an official exhibit July 1st at 12:00 a.m. with a kick-off party at the Joyce Center in South Bend to start selling the new apparel. It looks like Under Armour’s site is set up for a July 4th unveiling, so be sure to take some time in the coming weeks to find some new gear for the upcoming season!