It’s official: South Carolina is becoming a Nike school
The switch to the Swoosh is official.
On Friday, South Carolina’s Board of Trustees approved the Gamecocks changing its apparel partners from Under Armour to Nike. It’s a 10-year deal worth $70 million in product, $5 million in cash and more. USC will also receive 15% of net sales of USC-licensed Nike products.
The change will go into effect until July 1, 2026 — that’s immediately after the Under Armour deal, signed in 2016, expires — meaning the Gamecocks’ nearly-20-year partnership with Under Armour will continue for the rest of this school year.
“We are thrilled to announce the future partnership with Nike, a brand that is built on inspiring athletes to reach for excellence with the latest and most innovative equipment and attire while championing the values of athletic participation, beginning in July 2026,” USC Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati said through a statement. “We are excited to be joining with Nike as we look to continue to elevate our brand and compete for championships in the future.
“We are truly appreciative of the long partnership we have enjoyed with Under Armour since 2007. They have provided our student-athletes and fans with excellent service and apparel since the onset of our relationship and have been a part of many huge Gamecock moments. ... We look forward to celebrating our partnership history with Under Armour in the 2025-26 athletics seasons.”
The Nike revolution is coming to South Carolina, where the ties are already deep. Women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley has long been a Nike ambassador, back to the days when she was rocking the Zoom S5s. Gamecock legend A’ja Wilson is also a Nike athlete with her own shoe.
And Donati has long been a proponent of the Swoosh. While at TCU, he extended the Horned Frogs’ partnerships with Nike, calling the brand “The best in the business.” It should also be noted that Nike CEO Elliott Hill is a TCU alum who also serves on the school’s board of trustees.
Beyond all that, though, Nike is Nike. It is the alpha of the sports apparel world that’s favored by athletes and, therefore, recruits. Whether the shoes and shirts and jerseys and cleats are actually better or just carry more cache and swag could be up for debate. What’s cannot be challenged is Nike’s dominance in the space, holding top spot in sports apparel market share — ahead of Adidas and miles beyond Under Armour.
That is the part of the Nike deal not quantifiable yet. Does this move help with recruiting? Does USC sell more merch now that its with Nike? Are athletes injured less often in Nike shoes and cleats? Does the brand bring something unique to the table — like, perhaps, NIL dollars?
South Carolina’s agreement with Nike comes just over a week after Tennessee ditched the Swoosh for Adidas in an unprecedented deal where Adidas will begin striking above-the-cap NIL deals (meaning, it doesn’t count against the $20.5 million salary cap each school is now allowed to pay its student-athletes) with Tennessee players.
South Carolina’s deal, however, includes no language about NIL deals. Here’s what it does include.
- 10-year contract, running from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2036
- $5 million in cash compensation, or $500k per year (The Under Armour deal included $24.5 million in cash)
- $70 million in product allotment, or $7 million a year (The Under Armour deal included $44.5 million in cash)
- $2.5 million in supplemental product across the 10 years
- A 15% royalty on all sales on Nike merch that features South Carolina (Under Armour gave no royalty.)
- Nike will provide South Carolina football with a redesign of at least three uniforms in the first four years of the deal. It will do the same for women’s basketball, but with at least four uniforms.
- Nike designers will lead a re-design of the basketball court inside Colonial Life Arena.
- Nike will outfit South Carolina basketball with A’ja Wilson’s signature sneakers.
This story was originally published August 22, 2025 at 10:21 AM.
