Under Armour Stomps on Nike's College Football Turf
*By Michael Teich*
The College Football Playoff hasn't even kicked off, but Under Armour is already a winner.
For the first time since the final four-structured championship began in 2014, a non-Nike brand is sponsoring one of the teams that made the playoffs.
This year, that team is Notre Dame and Under Armour is the sponsor.
Under Armour may have stolen a final four sponsorship from Nike, but Nike still has a strong grip on the sport at the college level. Following the selection made by the College Football Playoff committee on Sunday, 19 of the 20 teams that have made the college football playoff since it began in 2014 have featured the Nike swoosh on their jerseys.
Unless there is a power shift, it does not appear that Nike's reign will come to an end anytime soon, as familiar names continue to dominate the championship. Alabama has been in all five playoffs, Clemson has been selected for four in a row, and Oklahoma has made its way into the top four three times.
Beyond Notre Dame, which switched from Adidas to Under Armour in 2014, no other non-Nike branded team was close to being selected for the playoff. Out of the top 25 ranked teams, 21 were sponsored by Nike ($NKE), two by Under Armour ($UAA), and two by Adidas ($ADDYY). The highest-ranked non-Nike school was Utah, which was rated the 17th best team in the nation.
Nike dominance is not limited to college football. The sports retailer had its logo emblazoned on the jerseys of three of four teams in college basketball's 2018 final four, and is the sponsor of eight of the last 10 champions. Nike also scored big during the 2018 World Cup when both France and Croatia entered the championship wearing the swoosh.
Just days before the 49ers and Chiefs play in Las Vegas, Joe Pompliano, Investor at Pomp Investments and author of the Huddle Up Newsletter, discusses why he thinks this could be the most-watched Super Bowl in history.
Chris Versace of Tematica Research LLC shares his thoughts on Jerome Powell's latest comments, the timing of those crucial rate cuts, and what semiconductor stocks he's watching closely.
We battle an onslaught of advertising every time we scroll through social media. Deinfluencers propose a less pricey, more honest approach to how we shop online. Could they convince us to spend less?
Scott Gutz, CEO of Monster.com breaks down the company’s Work Watch Report for 2024, including what’s motivating workers to look for new positions and why they should see A.I. as an opportunity.
Tom Graff, Chief Investment Officer, Facet, discusses what the latest jobs report says about this ‘pretty good’ labor market and why the market should worry less about the Fed’s next decision.
Universal Music Group, which represents artists including Taylor Swift, Drake, and Ariana Grande, has removed its music from TikTok and accused the app of bullying and intimidation.
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage fell 0.06% last week. Although the rate is much higher than it was two years ago, the decline could relieve buyers already dealing with low inventory and high prices.
