Under terms of the deal, which begins July 1, 2016, Under Armour will design and supply the shoes and apparel for the university’s 23 men’s and women’s sports teams.
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Regent Tim Higgins tried to add formal language to the policy requiring UW-Madison to step up recruiting of the best Wisconsin students identified through grade point averages and test scores. Adidas is providing Wisconsin with $1.375 million in product this year.
If approved by the committe, the full board would vote on the resolution during Friday’s meeting. Opponents also fear no out-of-state caps will mean larger classes, reduced services and more Wisconsin students turned away.
Compared to the deal with adidas, the contract with Under Armour financially favors UW. The school’s contract with Adidas ends in June 2016. The Baltimore-based company signed a 10-year deal with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a partnership that had been widely anticipated to happen all week.
While the name of the uniform game seems to be to make bold, flashy statements, Wisconsin is yet another school, much like Notre Dame, that will not participate in a complete makeover, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez reaffirmed at Friday’s news conference announcing the deal.
The campus admissions process is “holistic”, Blank told regents, considering not just test scores but the whole student in a way that measures many facets of talent and opens the door to historically disadvantaged students. “Our primary focus at Wisconsin is, of course, our student-athletes, and Under Armour’s passion and commitment to high quality and innovation will benefit our student-athletes for years to come”.
“We couldn’t be happier with this new relationship”, Alvarez said.
“It’s a great contract for both sides”, UW Chancellor Rebecca Blank said to The Badger Herald, adding that her daughter loves to wear Under Armour products.
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“I don’t like anybody else outfitting our Badgers”, he said.
