Afer a 16-year relationship with Adidas, Notre Dame is set to sign a new contract with Under Armour when their current deal with Adidas expires at the end of the year, ESPN and IrishIllustrated.com each reported. The new partnership will cover all Fighting Irish athletic teams.
ESPN reported Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank was in South Bend Thursday to discuss the new contract.
The terms of the deal have yet to be reported. Michigan's current $8.2 million-per-year contract with Adidas is currently the most lucrative in college athletics -- an agreement that has no doubt exacerbated any developing strain in the relationship between the German apparel giant and the Irish.
"We have been very happy with Adidas," Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick told ESPN in December. "But it is just good business to use the expiration of a contract to review all options."
Notre Dame represents the biggest college athletics property yet landed by Under Armour, which also boasts Auburn, South Carolina, Texas Tech, Maryland, Boston College and various other FBS schools among its clients.
The impact on the Irish's on-field appearance is still very much TBD, though as long as Under Armour shies away from experiments like this 2012 Shamrock Series disaster, it seems like an upgrade is likely:
