UCLA signs record $280 million apparel deal with Under Armour

LOS ANGELES, May 24 (UPI) — UCLA’s athletic program has signed a $280 million, 15-year apparel deal with Under Armour in what may be the largest contract in NCAA history.

The sportswear manufacturer will supply the footwear, equipment and uniforms for UCLA’s 25 men’s and women’s varsity athletic teams.

“UCLA has always been about challenging the status quo and breaking through barriers,” said UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero said in a statement. “Under Armour shares those core values. They are about more than simply making athletes look good, they constantly pursue innovation in order to make athletes better.”

Baltimore-based Under Armour was looking to add a West Coast presence to its line-up that includes Notre Dame, Auburn and Wisconsin.

“This deal was about geography,” said Kevin Plank, who founded Under Armour in 1996, the Los Angeles Times reported. “It was important for us to plant our flag in L.A.”

UCLA’s $7.5 million contract with Adidas is set to expire next year. They have had a partnership since 1999.

Other schools have been signing big contracts. Nike signed three 15-year deals since last summer with Michigan ($169 million), Texas ($250 million) and Ohio State ($252 million). Nike co-founder Phil Knight has had a deal in place with UCLA’s Pac-12 rival, Oregon, where he is an alumnus.

Under Armour’s only other Pac-12 school is Utah.

UCLA will receive $15 million in cash, a source told the Los Angeles Times and then $11 million each year in rights and marketing fees. Under Armour will supply the school with $7.4 million worth of clothing, shoes and equipment each school year and another $2 million for facility upgrades.

Notre Dame signed a 10-year, $90 million deal with Under Armour in 2014.

Under Armour was launched in 1996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank from his grandmother’s basemant with an initial investment of $40,000.

The company has grown to $4 billion in revenues last year and has signed such stars as Clayton Kershaw (baseball), Stephen Curry (basketball), Cam Newton (football) and Jordan Spieth (golf).