On-display apparel from Under Armour shows design for upcoming season. Photo from uabsports.comTamara Imam - Managing Editormanaging@insideuab.com
UAB will net $50,000 a year from sports apparel outfitter Under Armour, per a seven-year agreement recently signed by the university.
According to AL.com, the contract states that the agreement began on June 1 and will run through May 31, 2023, and can be renewed for three more years.
The athletics department, together with Under Armour’s manager of collegiate team sports Todd Locklear held a press conference on Sept. 29 to announce the partnership.
According to athletics director Mark Ingram, discussions with Under Armour began about a year ago, and student athletes began wearing the brand’s apparel in July.
“We’re so excited that we’re able to provide such a high level, high quality product for students to compete in, to practice in, to train in and to perform in,” Ingram said in the presser. “All the feedback that we’ve gotten from our students so far has been very positive, as we expected.”
In addition to the direct financial benefit that the partnership offers the university through the annual rights fee, Ingram stated that more official UAB merchandise will be available in retail outlets for fans to purchase and serves as a marketing tool for potential recruits.
“This is really good for us as we continue to build the brand of UAB and build what we want it to be nationally and where we’re headed and all the great things we’re doing, this was a logical step and made good sense for us,” he said.
Locklear, who also spoke at the press conference, cited a number of factors in Under Armour’s decision to partner with UAB.
“UAB checks a lot of boxes for us. First and foremost they demand excellence on and off the field. We feel the same way,” he said.
He also focused on the strategic location of Birmingham and the return of the football program.
“The market that you guys are in in Birmingham, Alabama, that’s a strategic market for Under Armour. One of our biggest partners, Hibbett Sporting Goods is right here in Birmingham and we just opened a field office right around the corner,” Locklear said. “And then the rebirth of football, I’m very interested in that. When those kids run out of that tunnel next year and kick that program off again, just the thought of them having Under Armour on their jerseys, it meant a lot to us.”
For Locklear and Ingram both, the agreement was a “natural fit.”
“We kind of thrive on that underdog mentality,” Locklear said. “Together, two underdogs, we’re going to make a lot of noise here in the next few years.”
“We want our students to have a world-class experience in every way, and having the appropriate amount of apparel, footwear and protective equipment is a big part of that,” Ingram said.
Softball head coach Marla Townsend and football head coach Bill Clark gave the closing remarks at the press conference.
“Somebody that made a commitment with us is what we were looking for, that sees the vision of where our programs are headed and where we want to be on the national stage,” Clark said.
