It was revealed back in January that the University of Cincinnati was transitioning their apparel partnership for their athletics programs from Adidas to Under Armour. Now the school has made it official.
Adidas had partnered with the Bearcats for almost a decade, transitioning from Nike during the Summer of 2006. Overall, the apparel company served UC well. The multi-million dollar contract flooded Cincinnati’s equipment department with all the jerseys, footwear, and supplies they could ever ask for. The Bearcats also became a golden child in the eyes of the manufacturer, providing their teams the newest jerseys to hit the marketplace. Sometimes it worked out and others (more often than not) it didn’t.
In general, Adidas recognized the national brand potential of UC, treated them like white glove clients, and everyone was happy.
RELATED: Notre Dame and Maryland Twitter accounts welcome Cincinnati to Under Armour.
But when Under Armour offered Cincinnati a more lucrative contract the Bearcats couldn’t pass it up, especially when Adidas refused to match. So UC made the logical business decision and changed their partnership. I’m certainly appreciative of what Adidas did for Bearcats football (I list that program specifically on purpose) but I’m extremely excited for the prospects of UA going forward, especially considering it looks they’re wisely not changing a whole lot from what has made UC so recognizable nationally in the last decade.
Under Armour
Plus the idea of the “Cincinnati Stripe” is intriguing. Here’s a more detailed look at this and the inspiration from UC’s campus for Under Armour’s design.
Under Armour Cincinnati stripe
The full press release is below.
"CINCINNATI and BALTIMORE (April 2, 2015) — The University of Cincinnati department of athletics today announced a long-term partnership with Under Armour (NYSE:UA), naming the global performance brand as the official outfitter for UC’s intercollegiate athletics program starting July 1, 2015.As part of the multi-year agreement, Under Armour will exclusively design and supply the footwear, apparel and equipment for training and gameday uniforms for each of UC’s 19 men’s and women’s varsity athletic teams beginning in the 2015-16 season.“We are honored to partner with one of the most innovative and respected companies in the world,” UC Director of Athletics Mike Bohn said. “Kevin Plank and his team represent a unequivocal commitment to student-athletes and their energy and vision is incomparable. Under Armour provides a tremendous boost to the entire institution for what we call the #HottestCollegeInAmerica.”“The University of Cincinnati is a standout addition to the Under Armour roster of NCAA partners, with a sustained legacy of post-season success in both football and basketball, in addition to multiple Olympic sports,” said Adam Peake, Executive Vice President, Global Brand Marketing, Under Armour. “We are excited to offer the most innovative performance gear for the student-athletes, coaching and training staff, and the entire Bearcats fan base for years to come.”In addition to outfitting the Bearcats, the brand plans to integrate the University into its wide-ranging storytelling efforts, including global marketing campaigns, social media initiatives, in-store promotions and grassroots activations.“Our talented players, coaches and staff are excited to share this new relationship with our dedicated fans and demonstrate how two hot brands will take the Bearcats to new heights,” Bohn said. “Under Armour has made a significant commitment to UC which will allow us to strive for even more significant achievements. We share a passion to provide our student-athletes with all the cutting edge tools to compete at the highest level.”This new affiliation further expands Under Armour’s leadership in providing proven performance benefits to college athletes on all playing fields. Cincinnati is the brand’s fifteenth Division 1 all-school partnership."