• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

Under Armour Pushes Comeback From Recent Woes With Notre Dame Deal

  • Extension with Notre Dame pegged as richest of its type in college athletics
  • New company president looks to execute more focused business plan
MATTIE NERETIN / USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the most prominent sports footwear and apparel companies is perhaps starting to get its groove back.

The recently embattled Under Armour has completed a $100 million licensing extension with Notre Dame believed to be the richest such deal in college sports.

The pact is also the latest move in an ongoing corporate retooling that has brought a new sense of stability to the company, which first rose to fame as a high-flying, upstart challenger to established market leaders such as Nike and Adidas.

In the last year, Under Armour has:

  • Brought in former Marriott president Stephanie Linnartz as its new president and CEO
  • Beat Wall Street estimates in its last quarter earnings
  • Struck a long-term deal with NBA superstar Stephen Curry
  • Began a heightened effort to target women’s product sales

The developments have helped to reverse a highly turbulent period in which Under Armour posted declining earnings, faced a series of embarrassing revelations over a toxic work culture, ended an on-field licensing deal with the NFL, paid UCLA a $67.5 million settlement following a bitter contract breach dispute, cut short several other major licensing college deals in similarly ugly fashion, backed off a MLB on-field uniform deal to save $50 million, and saw company founder and former CEO Kevin Plank transition to an executive chairman role.

The recent efforts, however, have yet to resonate with investors. Under Armour stock is down by 14% over the last year and now hovers around $8 per share. At the company’s high point in 2015, its stock neared $53 a share.

The company reports its next quarterly earnings on Aug. 8.

The Notre Dame deal is the first major piece of new business for the school since its recently announced athletics leadership transition from Jack Swarbrick to former NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

In the NIL Era, College Basketball’s Biggest Programs Keep Winning

Only Power 4 teams qualified for the men’s Sweet 16.
Kelly Coleman, pro bat lead operator, inspects a torpedo bat after it comes out of a baseball bat lathe at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory in Louisville, Ky. on Mar. 31, 2025.

‘Torpedo’ Bat Sales Boom As Debate Rages About Effectiveness

Several manufacturers report historic interest in the much-debated bat design.

Goodell, Owners Signal 18-Game NFL Season Is Coming—Eventually

The idea of a longer schedule ties into several other league initiatives.

Featured Today

Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Creator Behind the LeBron ‘Glazing’ Trend Sweeping TikTok

FOS spoke to TikTok user OkaySpade who made the original song.
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys manager Amir Khan before a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion
April 1, 2025

Inside the 24-Hour NIL March Madness Deals

Some of the most viral partnerships come together overnight.
Seattle Kraken
April 1, 2025

Samantha Holloway Is Seattle’s NHL Present—and Hopeful NBA Future

Samantha Holloway is steering the Kraken and hoping to revive pro hoops.
Brehanna Daniels
March 31, 2025

NASCAR Pit Crew Member Brehanna Daniels Didn’t Know She’d Be a Trailblazer

The first Black female tire changer didn’t know she’d be a trailblazer.
April 1, 2025

Women’s Elite Eight Ratings Down 53%, Still Top Pre–Caitlin Clark Years

UConn wasn’t in the most-watched game for the first time.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Olivia Miles (5) celebrates a three-pointer as TCU Horned Frogs face off with Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the Sweet 16 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, March 29, 2025.
April 1, 2025

Olivia Miles Delays WNBA Dreams: Why She Chose the Transfer Portal

Miles was the projected No. 2 overall pick.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Paige Bueckers
March 31, 2025

Paige Bueckers Extends College Career Another Week

Bueckers advancing is a win for UConn, the Big East, and ESPN.
Olivia Miles
March 31, 2025

Top WNBA Draft Prospect Opts For Transfer Portal Instead

Olivia Miles had been projected as a top-2 pick.
Texas Longhorns guard Rori Harmon (3) guards William & Mary guard Bella Nascimento (5) during the first round NCAA playoff game at the Moody Center on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
March 31, 2025

William & Mary Nets Financial ‘Units’ for School After First Tournament Win

The school is the second-oldest university in the country.
Trae Young
March 31, 2025

Trae Young Is Latest NBA Star to Take On 7-Figure College Job

Young is the latest NBA star to join the college arms race.