It looks like UCLA baseball will be joining the school's basketball team in missing the NCAA tournament this year, but it's not all bad news for the Bruins' athletic program.
The university revealed Tuesday that it has agreed to a 15-year, $280 million sportswear deal with Under Armour, effective in July 2017. It is the largest apparel contract for a collegiate athletic program ever – a full $28 million more than Ohio State's deal with Nike, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"We knew that we were well-positioned to cut a deal," UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero told the L.A. Times. "Under Armour came at us hard."
Founded in Baltimore by former Terrapins football player Kevin Plank in 1996, the company is in relative infancy compared to established powerhouses such as Nike and Adidas – the latter of which UCLA had been partnered with since 1999.
But Plank's upstart organization has quietly asserted itself as "a major player," as San Diego State University marketing professor George Belch told the L.A. Times, with its moves in recent years. In 2014, Under Armour signed a 10-year, $90 million merchandise contract with Notre Dame, which was its largest collegiate deal before UCLA.
The company also signed an agreement with Cal last month, as it has looked to expand its influence in the west. Before the deals with Cal and UCLA, Under Armour's only Pac-12 school was Utah.
At the professional level, Under Armour has established itself with several big names: Two-time defending NBA MVP Stephen Curry is part of an all-star lineup of Under Armour athletes that includes Tom Brady, Bryce Harper, Cam Newton, Jordan Spieth, Buster Posey, Clayton Kershaw, Lindsey Vonn and Michael Phelps. Former UCLA linebacker Myles Jack signed with Under Armour before the Jaguars drafted him in the second round last month.
But the deal with UCLA – which holds the all-time NCAA Division I record with 114 national championships across all sports – might just be the biggest breakthrough yet.
And while it's still unclear exactly which creative changes will be made regarding both merchandise available for fans and gear to be worn by teams in games and practices, the optimism surrounding the agreement is undeniable.
"Different strokes for different folks," Plank told the L.A. Times. "There's something incredibly iconic about UCLA, and the last thing we want to do is disrupt that tradition."
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen provided a dose of disruption with an Instagram post that was later deleted, but not before it could be screengrabbed for posterity. Citing the ongoing NCAA issue of amateurism, Rosen reacted to the Under Armour deal by writing, "We're still amateurs though ... Gotta love non-profits #NCAA".
Under Armour stock went up 95 cents a share Tuesday.
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