The University of South Carolina’s board of trustees will convene on Friday morning, with a focus on athletic gear. According to David Cloninger of the Post & Courier, the university is expected to announce a new athletic apparel deal with Nike, signaling the end of a 10-year agreement with Under Armour. The shoe giant’s distinctive “Swoosh” logo will be on USC’s uniforms and team gear beginning with the 2026-27 school year.
The Gamecocks have been with Under Armour since 2007, signing a six-year football-only contract worth $10.8 million. Under Armour began dressing all of USC’s teams over the next few years as other teams began phasing out of Russell Athletic, adidas, and Nike on their individual contracts. The deal was amended in 2011, when a new six-year contract totaling $19 million was agreed upon, covering all of USC’s teams.
The latest contract was a 10-year extension signed in July of 2016 and was set to expire on June 30, 2026. That $71.5 million agreement was the second-most valuable in the SEC and the seventh-most valuable in the country, USC said when it was signed. The contract had a clause requiring USC to exclusively negotiate with Under Armour for a renewal until Jan. 1, 2026, unless they found they could not mutually come to an agreement. That would free USC to seek another provider until June 2026, when the deal runs out.
Under Armour appears to be lightening its college partnerships, as Auburn ended its UA relationship and signed with Nike in a deal that began in July, leaving USC as the last SEC school to be with UA.