Notre Dame’s exclusive negotiating window with apparel sponsor Under Armour has expired, potentially leading to a new brand sponsor for the University, according to a report from Sports Illustrated.
Notre Dame’s ten-year contract with Under Armour will expire after next season. The contract is reportedly valued at about $90 million.
The report noted that Under Armour could extend its sponsorship with Notre Dame, but it comes as UA has bought out or let several other university contracts expire as part of the company’s efforts to reduce overhead to realign costs in line with sales levels.
University deals that ended with Under Armour over the past few seasons included UCLA, Cal, Hawai’i, Cincinnati, and Boston College. The Baltimore-based brand bought out its contract with UCLA for $65 million just a few years after entering a 15-year deal worth $280 million, which at the time topped Notre Dame’s spot as the largest apparel deal in college athletics history.
Under Armour has also parted ways with English Premier League club Southampton FC and ended an on-field licensing agreement with the NFL.
Other cost-saving moves for Under Armour have included exiting the lacrosse equipment market and forgoing plans to open a flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. A smaller UA store on Fifth Ave is now in the works.
Under Armour’s line-up of sponsored universities includes Auburn, Maryland, South Carolina, Texas Tech, Utah, and Wisconsin, with Notre Dame as its largest program.
Photo courtesy University of Notre Dame
