Notre Dame Joins Under Armour Team, Stock Options Included

One of the nation's most revered, and reviled, programs has a new partner. During a conference on Tuesday morning, Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbick and Under Armour UA CEO Kevin Plank announced a new 10-year partnership, which is set to take effect July 1, 2014. "And in as much as this represents the largest financial commitment ever made by a brand to a university," Swarbick said, "it will provide the critical resources we need to enable our student-athletes to compete at the highest levels." Notre Dame is Under Armour's 13th Division 1 all-school (i.e., all athletics) partnership. Notre Dame apparel and footwear was most recently partnered with Adidas dating back to 1997. "We look forward to collaborating with the university's administration, athletic department, student-athletes, alumni and its powerful fan base to uphold the Fighting Irish's championship pedigree," Plank said. Exact financial details were not listed. Swarbick said this is the largest deal of its kind in college athletics. According to the Chicago Tribune, the University of Michigan's reported $8.2 million partnership with Adidas is the largest deal of its kind, currently. ESPN reported the Notre Dame deal is worth around $90 million. "For us to marry our tradition with one of the great entrepreneurial stories in recent time in this country is exciting for me," Swarbick said. "I think it will impact our culture in direct ways. Make us more creative, more inventive, allow us to move more quickly and to be fundamentally entrepreneurial." One of the most tradition-rich programs in the country, a change to Under Armour might rustle some feathers of the old guard. A period of change, however, has been maybe the biggest trait since Swarbick took over in the summer of 2008. Notre Dame basketball has sported neon-green jerseys in recent years, while the football team has ushered in special "Shamrock Series" uniforms since 2009. The university also switched conferences in 2013, joining the ACC after years in the now-defucnt Big East. Its independent football team sacrificed some of its yearly rivalry games in order to play a handful of ACC opponents beginning in 2014. Head coach Brian Kelly has also introduced music (such as Dropkick Murphy's Shipping Up To Boston) to football games at Notre Dame Stadium, something rarely, if ever, heard in the century prior to his signing in 2010. The Tribune also noted that the deal does include any signage for Under Armour in Fighting Irish stadiums and arenas. While appearances are a big part of the Notre Dame way, Swarbick noted that this is not just an appearance-based deal. "[This] may be the most wide-ranging overall relationship anywhere in college athletics. That is demonstrated in both the term of the agreement and the unique feature that makes Notre Dame a shareholder in Under Armour," Swarbrick continued. "It is reflected in a shared desire to collaborate in areas such as sport technology, product development, and athlete performance." Shares of Under Armour were at $85.38 in mid-afternoon trading, up 4.13 percent since its January 17 close.