Under Armour’s UCLA deal shatters college record

WASHINGTON — Baltimore-based Under Armour Inc. has signed a multiyear deal to supply the University of California Los Angeles sports teams’ footwear and apparel in a deal reportedly worth $280 million, the largest ever collegiate apparel sponsorship deal.

Under Armour did not disclose financial details, but confirmed it is the largest apparel deal in the history of the NCAA.

Under terms of the deal, Under Armour will supply clothing, shoes and equipment for training and gameday uniforms for all 25 of UCLA’s men’s and women’s varsity teams. The partnership starts July 1, 2017.

“With 113 NCAA Championships, UCLA is the most decorated athletic program in history, the benchmark for excellence in performance,” said Under Armour Founder Kevin Plank in a statement.

Under Armour is replacing UCLA’s longtime apparel sponsorship partner Adidas, whose contract expires next year.

Under Armour also will continue to expand its West Coast presence on the heels of the UCLA deal. It says it will open new retail locations in the greater Los Angeles area and offer internships to UCLA students at its Baltimore headquarters.

UCLA is the latest in a string of high-profile college sponsorship deals for Under Armour, including Notre Dame, Auburn and Wisconsin. It now has 35 Division I all-school partnerships, and third of them in the Pac-12 Conference.

Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.

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