Notre Dame has reportedly reached a new $100 million licensing extension with Under Armour in a deal now believed to stand as the richest apparel collaboration in college athletics.
UA’s new 10-year contract with the Irish is “expected to be worth more than $10 million annually in cash and gear,” according to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. Before Under Armour became Notre Dame’s apparel partner in 2014, the role was held by Adidas via its reported $90 million deal that was believed to be the largest in college sports at the time.
The Fighting Irish’s apparel rights became available this spring with Notre Dame in the final year of its previous 10-year deal signed with Under Armour. The brand ultimately beat Adidas and Nike in a “bidding war” to maintain its partnership. Other schools with apparel deals in the $8-10 million a year range include Texas (Nike), Kansas (Adidas), Louisville (Adidas), Ohio State (Nike), Nebraska (Adidas), and Michigan (Nike).
Notre Dame holds one of the most valuable brands in college sports, so much so that it can maintain independent status without joining a college football conference. The university seeks to triple its football rights fees to $65 million to $75 million annually once its current media deal with NBC expires after the 2024 season.
Under Armour also outfits Auburn, Wisconsin, Utah, Texas Tech, and South Carolina, but the company has also canceled its deals in recent years with UCLA, Hawaii, Cal, and Cincinnati. Under Armour’s 2023 fiscal year revenue was up 3% to $5.9 billion, and the company’s fourth-quarter revenue reported in May was up 8% to $1.4 billion.
Notre Dame’s reach outside of the U.S. will be displayed later this month when the Fighting Irish travel to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium to play Navy in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on August 26 to kick off the college football season.
