Under Armour has signed Yale to a 10-year "head-to-toe apparel deal" worth around $16M, the company's "first relationship with an Ivy League school," according to Terry Lefton in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. UA will "design and supply footwear, apparel and accessories for Yale's 35 varsity sports." The company also is likely to "take an extended performance-based collection to retail." The deal includes "rights fees, an apparel/equipment allowance, and a marketing commitment" that will put UA branding on Yale's "relatively clean athletic venues, as well as within the university's locker and training rooms and in athletic hospitality spaces." Yale becomes the 33rd school with a full UA apparel/footwear deal (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/11 issue). In Connecticut, Chip Malafronte reported the deal, which is a "major coup for Yale," has a higher annual value than current Nike deals for Illinois and Rutgers. A portion of the contract "will be paid in cash to help boost the school's annual operations budget." It is expected the deal will result in "more TV broadcasts, more big-name opponents in New Haven and, perhaps, Under Armour-sponsored hockey and basketball tournaments." While schools like Maryland, Texas Tech and Navy have allowed UA to "make wild changes to uniform color schemes and football helmets," Yale "isn't interested in radical revamps." Malafronte: "Breathe easy. Yale Blue is untouchable" (NEW HAVEN REGISTER, 1/10).
