U.C.L.A. and Under Armour announced the largest college sponsorship deal ever on Tuesday, a contract that will pay the university’s athletic department $280 million in cash and apparel over 15 years.
The deal extends a trend of rapidly escalating contracts as three sportswear companies — Under Armour, Nike and Adidas — seek greater footholds in the lucrative college sports industry. Since 2014 alone, the unofficial sponsorship record has changed hands five times as prominent programs have signed new agreements.
Last July, a year after Notre Dame’s reported $90 million sponsorship deal with Under Armour set a new bar in college sports, Michigan announced that it would switch to Nike from Adidas for as much as $15.