Iconic sportswear brand Under Armour and USA Football, the sport's governing body in the United States and the organization responsible for creating and leading the U.S. National teams, have announced a multi-year partnership that aims to grow the game of football across all disciplines, including tackle and flag.
As the Official and Exclusive Uniform, Apparel and Footwear Partner of USA Football - inclusive of the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams - Under Armour will support USA Football's athletes as they compete on the global stage with new innovations and world class products, reimagining how the sport will be outfitted.
The brand will also dress the first Olympic team for the 2028 Summer Gamesas flag football and USA Football's U.S. National Teams make their Olympic debut.
Together, Under Armour and USA Football are on a mission to reshape the game and create more equity within the sport, extending far beyond apparel and footwear.
Together, they will work to structure the sport's continued growth so both athletes and coaches can benefit from a high-performance pathway that starts at youth recreational events and ladders all the way up to the U.S. National Teams and, ultimately, the Olympics.
Scott Hallenbeck, USA Football CEO on the partnership with Under Armour, said, "We were very thoughtful and intentional about the process as we looked for a partner in this space. The sport – flag football in particular – is evolving and growing at an incredible rate.
Hallenback continued, "We engaged with a number of potential partners, and what stood out about Under Armour was not only their rich heritage and tradition in football, but also their commitment to growing the game with us. They understand the sport needs to be nurtured as standards are put in place to guide its development. There needs to be real alignment and collaboration to grow the sport properly."
As both organizations looked at how they could work together, they realized their shared commitment to innovation, development and performance, but in slightly different ways that are very complementary.
Under Armour's commitment is to best-in-class products and best-in-class innovation around programs, while USA Football is around standards, best practices, education, and now a high-performance path that culminates in the U.S. National Teams that will represent the country in the Olympics. Together, these areas marry nicely and become comprehensive and complete in their execution.
Both organizations are looking carefully at how they can best align in the short- and long-term. The first step is events, such as UA Next. A series of events that are all about development and performance, which closely aligns with our overall organizational structure, mission and some of USA Football's current events, like Talent ID Camps.
USA Football and Under Armour are committed to exploring and evolving opportunities as they learn more about the Olympic movement and USA Football's role as the sport's governing body.
In addition to initiatives that streamline each other's organizational events, there is also a plan for innovation around products like uniforms. Sustainability is important to USA Football as well as the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the IOC.
Sean Eggert, SVP of Global Sports Marketing at Under Armour, said, "Our goal is to provide a pathway for all athletes to participate in football from the youth level to the USA National Teams and to feel supported throughout that journey."
Eggert continued, "As we look ahead, we are committed to defining the path of flag football for all athletes through a grassroots program, supporting skill development by integrating flag into our existing UA Next platform and working to expand our coaches' network and opportunities through our ongoing partnership with the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches."
In August 2023, Under Armour welcomed Diana Flores, world flag football champion, as a new Global Ambassador addition to UA Athlete roster. Flores is the first flag football athlete to join the
Under Armour family.
As part of this partnership, the brand will work with Diana Flores, world flag football champion and UA ambassador, to break down barriers and provide access to sport for the next generation of athletes, with a focus on making flag football more accessible for boys and girls alike.
In January 2024, Under Armour hosted its first flag football camp in partnership with Flores for over 100 athletes at All-America, which is a part of Under Armour's UA Next platform. It was a great opportunity designed to support young female athletes of all skill and participation levels to reach their maximum potential.
Now more than ever, UA is committed to empowering female athletes on their journey to compete in football and play at all levels. In 2024, Under Armour is expanding its UA Next platform to provide access to sport to more than 7,500 youth athletes.
Under Armour will be incorporating flag football elements into our Future 50 camp, which is part of Under Armour's UA Next platform and will take place June 28-30 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. Fans can count on Sports Illustrated for all their footwear and apparel news from the sports world.
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