Notre Dame, Under Armour Deal Said To Be "Largest In College Sports"

Yesterday, the University of Notre Dame formally announced the school's 10-year apparel contract with Baltimore-based apparel provider, Under Armour, which Fighting Irish Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick is calling "the largest financial commitment ever made by a brand to a university." ESPN cites sources reporting that the apparel deal is worth $90 million in cash and merchandise over 10 years, which would be a 50% premium to the school's previous deal with Adidas, reported to be $60 million over 10 years, and a 10% premium to the $8.2 million/year deal that rival Michigan signed with Adidas in 2007.

Notre Dame's 17-year partnership with Adidas will conclude at the end of this school year, while Under Armour adds Notre Dame to a portfolio of school-wide deals which includes Auburn, Boston College, Colorado State, Hawaii, Maryland, Navy, Northwestern, South Carolina, South Florida, St. John's, Texas Tech and Utah.

In addition to outfitting Fighting Irish athletic teams, the brand plans to integrate the university into a wide range of its "story-telling efforts," including global marketing campaigns, social media initiatives, in-store promotions and grassroots activations.