(This story has been updated to reflect the latest information.)
COLUMBIA — South Carolina athletics is switching from Under Armour to Nike as its official apparel supplier beginning July 1, 2026.
The move was announced on Aug. 22 when the university’s board of trustees approved the new contract. It’s a 10-year partnership worth $70 million plus $5 million cash, $2.5 million supplemental product allowance and 15% of net sales from Nike Gamecocks items.
South Carolina’s contract with Under Armour, which began in 2007, will expire in June 2026 after signing a 10-year extension in 2016 worth $71.5 million. South Carolina was the last SEC school still partnered with Under Armour.
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This move comes under new athletic director Jeremiah Donati, who was hired seven months ago. When Donati was athletic director at TCU, he extended the school’s contract with Nike.
Donati said that South Carolina didn’t negotiate with any other apparel companies other than Nike and Under Armour.
“We just felt like (Nike) was very much aligned with the things that we hold near and dear,” Donati said after the deal was approved and made public. “We love their vision for us and ours with them. They have a standard of excellence that we’re gonna have here and for a lot of reasons it just made sense.”
Earlier this month, Tennessee announced it will be switching from Nike to Adidas in 2026.
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South Carolina is joining Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri, Texas, and Vanderbilt as other schools with a Nike partnership in the SEC
Last year, Auburn announced it would switch from Under Armour to Nike, and the new contract began July 1.
What South Carolina switching to Nike means for A’ja Wilson
This spring, South Carolina women’s basketball great A’ja Wilson released her Nike signature shoe, the “A’One” along with a collection of clothing items.
In the terms sheet of the contract, it directly states that “Recognizing A’ja Wilson as an iconic USC athlete and ambassador, Nike will provide USC Basketball with Nike-branded A’ja Wilson signature sneakers (A’Two) including USC-specific colorways to wear on the court. Nike will also explore A’ja Wilson travel and other team gear for USC WBB during the term.”
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The cash alternative is $15 million to be paid by July 15, 2027 if not provided.
The term sheet also said Nike will feature USC in Wilson-related marketing during the term.
During the Final Four in Tampa, Florida, Wilson held an event that gave fans a chance to see and purchase the shoes before they were widely available.
She invited the Texas women’s basketball team right before it played the Gamecocks in the Final Four, which resulted in some Longhorns wearing the A’Ones during the game. No South Carolina players could wear the shoes but Texas could since its a Nike school.
What South Carolina switching to Nike means for Dawn Staley
In 1999, women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley began wearing her Nike signature shoe the “Nike Zoom S5” in the WNBA. With the new contract, Staley could not only re-release her own shoe but continue a partnership with the company without the constraints that the Under Armour partnership previously brought.
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Beyond shoes, Staley has been involved with Nike-related things such as Nike Athlete Think Tank, which was created in hopes to provide financial support for female athletes to overcome barriers and to collaborate ideas on how there can be a more inclusive environment in women’s sports.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina athletics switching to Nike from Under Armour in 2026
