Univ. Of Maryland Probing Ties Between Recruit, Under Armour
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Stephenson Toured Under
Armour HQs Before UM Visit |
A Univ. of Maryland (UM) official said that the school is investigating Under Armour's relationship with high school basketball G Lance Stephenson Jr. to "determine whether any NCAA rules have been violated," according to Prisbell & Yanda of the WASHINGTON POST. UM is recruiting Stephenson to play for the school beginning next fall, and sources indicated that UA also "wanted to build a relationship with Stephenson so he would become part of its fledgling basketball shoe division if he reaches the NBA." UA Chair & CEO Kevin Plank is a UM alumnus and member of the school's Board of Trustees, and while elite high school basketball players often are "recruited by shoe companies," rarely is a "company also a major benefactor of a university pursuing the same player." UA signed a five-year, $17.5M all-sports apparel deal with UM in September, and former Nike, adidas and Reebok exec Sonny Vaccaro indicated that the company's affiliation with the school "gives Maryland a recruiting advantage with players the company has targeted as prospective clients." Stephenson denied receiving any gear from UA, but he reportedly "test-wore Under Armour apparel during a recent high school game" though his team is sponsored by another company. Industry sources suggested that Stephenson recently was "left off a Nike-affiliated all-star game largely because of his ties to Under Armour." Before Stephenson toured UM during his official visit in January, he said that he and his parents took a tour of UA's Baltimore HQs. Univ. of Oregon Exec Assistant AD for Compliance Bill Clever, whose school has a partnership with Nike, said that an Oregon recruit would "not be allowed to take a private tour" of Nike's HQs during an official visit. However, Vaccaro said that UA's "interest in Stephenson is not contingent on his college choice." Additionally, Stephenson's father, Lance Stephenson Sr., said that Under Armour will have "no influence on where his son goes to college." Stephenson Sr.: "To be honest with you, we really don't care for the sneaker. The sneaker sucks" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/1).
UM RESPONDS: UM yesterday in a statement defended its relationship with the apparel company, saying in part, "Our business relationship with Under Armour, as the department's exclusive apparel provider, is a relationship common throughout collegiate athletics" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/2).
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