As the Utes pivot toward a new era in the Big 12, their decade-spanning era with Under Armour concludes, sparking intense speculation over a potential blockbuster brand replacement.
The Utah Utes will have a new apparel partner soon. After 18 years and realignment from two conferences, the agreement with Under Armour will end after the 2026-27 athletic season. The news was first reported by Sports Business Journal's Ben Portnoy, who said the 10-year, $65 million agreement signed in 2016 would not be renewed.
“Under Armour remains deeply committed to supporting student-athletes through its robust collegiate athletics program,” an Under Armour spokesperson said in a statement to the Deseret News on Monday night. “While we have agreed to conclude our partnership with the University of Utah, we are proud of the support and resources we’ve provided their student-athletes, coaches and fans over the years. We look forward to completing a strong final year with the Utes.”
Utah Athletics has been one of the longest partners for UA in the company's history. While the agreement started during the days of the Mountain West Conference, it evolved throughout the years with the Utes now entering the third year of being in the Big 12.
“The University of Utah greatly appreciates its 18-year partnership with Under Armour, and has immense gratitude for the many benefits it has provided to our student-athletes," the University said in a statement. "Utah Athletics and Under Armour have experienced significant growth in our nearly two decades as partners, including our moves from the Mountain West to the Pac-12, and now to the Big 12 Conference. Thank you to Kevin Plank and the team at Under Armour for their incredible support for the University of Utah, our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans.”
Utah had a partnership with Nike prior to the move with UA. While the Utes have yet to announce a new deal for apparel, there are rumors circulating about Adidas being in the mix. We'll see if that becomes a reality in the coming months.
As for the rest of the Big 12, Nike is the majority stakeholder when it comes to being an outfitter. Arizona, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, UCF, and West Virginia are all aligned with the world's most famous apparel company. Adidas currently has Arizona State and Texas Tech as the only two Big 12 schools. Kansas is the outlier with the Jordan brand.
Under Armour's brand recognition in college is becoming less with Utah out next year. The major school left is Notre Dame.
