Thoughts on Notre Dame's Expected Deal with Under Armour
Notre Dame and Under Armour will be partners for the foreseeable future as Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger has reported the Irish have inked a new 10-year contract with Kevin Plank’s company.
Full Report from Dellenger: Sources: Notre Dame, Under Armour agree to richest apparel deal in college athletics
The deal is expected to give Notre Dame more than $10 million annually in cash and gear, which would be at the top of college athletics, which is hardly a surprise.
It would also mark the second time Notre Dame and Under Armour have combined for the richest apparel contract in college athletics as the 2014 deal was sold as such when the Irish signed with Plank, but that would be short-lived. At the time, the deal was speculated to be around $90 million along with stock options.
In talking to sources over the last few months, it’s not a secret many wanted Notre Dame and Jack Swarbrick to go in a different direction as Under Armour has recently cancelled deals with Cal, Cincinnati, Hawaii and UCLA, while also losing Boston College.
It’s hardly a secret Under Armour has taken a backseat to Nike, Jordan Brand and Adidas in recent years and has become a less-than-desirable brand no matter how you look at it. Is it a coincidence Notre Dame dropped its green jerseys for the Ohio State game this fall on the same day Dellenger’s report came out? Probably not.
As mentioned, cash is king for Notre Dame and likely will always be, so on one hand it’s hardly shocking Swarbrick and the university would re-sign. Under Armour desperately needs Notre Dame and made a financial commitment the university couldn’t pass on.
Yet, it’s hard to believe Marcus Freeman, Micah Shrewsberry, Niele Ivey and other coaches prefer Under Armour over other brands. In fact, members of the women’s basketball team wore Nike last year and didn’t hide it. Is it likely there was a medical exception for players to wear Nike? Probably so, but it still speaks to Under Armour’s inability to provide a quality product or fill a need for its athletes.
Now, is it the end of the world? No.
Notre Dame’s athletic teams have recruited at a high level since 2014 and the losses aren’t due to the Irish not having Nike, Adidas or Jordan Brand gear. In fact, Notre Dame’s coaches have used it to challenge the true priorities for recruits. Oklahoma sold a recruit a few years ago on receiving a ridiculous amount of Jordan gear and Notre Dame’s staff challenged the prospect on material things compared to building a future. The kid signed with Notre Dame.
And for what it’s worth, I was told Jordan Brand never had much interest in Notre Dame other than potentially the women’s basketball team.
At the end of the day, if Notre Dame’s coaches were on board with Under Armour, then all is well. If not, the decision speaks volumes, which isn’t ideal for incoming Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua.
Under Armour Navy Notre Dame Fighting Irish School Logo Raglan Long Sleeve Hoodie
