Less than 1 percent of the 18.8 million brackets submitted on ESPN.com picked the University of South Carolina to make it to the Final Four, but Under Armour Inc. doesn’t mind.
South Carolina’s appearance in the Final Four is not only the first in school history, but also the first for any Under Armour-sponsored school. The Baltimore sportswear maker provided gear, including jerseys and sneakers, to 12 teams in this year’s 68-team field, a record for the company.
Having a team make it to the national semifinals is significant for Under Armour since it could be a marketing boon for the company, said Matt Powell, a sports retail analyst for NPD Group.
“It’s all about the marketing side of this,” Powell said. “The exposure can be worth a lot of money and everyone is going to be seeing [Under Armour’] logo on the uniforms. It’s a dream for any brand.”
The other three Final Four schools are all sponsored by Under Armour’s biggest rival, Nike Inc. In one of the semifinals the University of…
