17 Comments

And here I thought it might be Cal's politics.

Whew... it's just downsizing and cutting costs.

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I would think a good future/next deal would be contingent on the competition between other apparel companies; with UA out, that competition just got lighter..... I’m guessing Nike and Addidas would be the next ones interested, but I’m not familiar with the world of school uni/apparel sponsorship.

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Dumpster Muffin branded swag will sell well

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I suppose this could be expected given UA's finances. I imagine Cal will try to negotiate a break-up fee as part of the dissolution of the contract, if that indeed is in the cards.

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The only unis I really liked were the joe Roth and the new pinstripe baseball jersey. Everything else I can live without

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I'm somewhat skeptical. Cal no longer listed on the UA website could simply be due to some intern thinking that UCLA and Cal are the same school and removed all mentions of all "University of California". With the bigger deal with UCLA still being renegotiated, I am not sure why they would have reached a deal with Cal first (the Cal deal is also a lot more affordable).

Just like how the naming right for the field did not go to another sponsor after Kabam pulled out, I am not sure that Cal would necessarily get a better deal in this economic environment (although they will get something because unlike football field name, you do NEED an athletic apparel sponsor). Nonetheless, being able to double-dip with a buyout and a new deal is potentially a financial boom for Cal Athletics, but I am not sure that more money is definitely guaranteed.

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Under Armour's attempts to cut ties with UCLA (and perhaps Cal) is going to be interesting, as it'll likely be long and drawn-out.

I spoke to a legal expert in March about the complexities of Covid-19, including business interruption insurance, events cancellation insurance, and "force majeure" clauses in contract. In short, there will be years of litigation, potentially even if these contracts don't have payouts for reneging on the agreement.

Our March story: https://writeforcalifornia.com/p/heres-what-happens-when-a-major-event

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Sing a deal?

My bills are all due and the baby needs shoes and I'm busted

Cotton is down to a quarter a pound, but I'm busted

I got a cow that went dry and a hen that won't lay

A big stack of bills that gets bigger each day

The county's gonna haul my belongings away cause I'm busted.

...

I'm broke, no bread, I mean like nothing,

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Based on the reactions I'm seeing, I think I might be in the minority as I actually liked the logos they designed for us and loved having the Sather Stripe motif across basically all of our sports.

I don't think we really used it beyond this one time, but I really liked this Sather Strip/script Cal mash-up that looked like a seal.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DBP7b60UAAISbVn.jpg

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I really liked the UA stuff, more than Nike by far. Then again I dont like Nike in general, cheap crap and their customer service reflects that (in my limited experience). This is most unfortunate, glad I bought a few T shirts while I could lol

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I wonder if the University owns the designs or if they can only be used as a part of the Under Armour deal.

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I remember seeing the rights stay with the university, but I could be wrong. It was one of the distinguishing factors from previous deals

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My uneducated guess is that it would be exclusive, like how the Crying Bear disappeared when we left Nike for UA.

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good. i for one am sick of the aesthetic of these arrangements in which the under armour logo has as large a presence as our Cal script logo. i understand the funding element, but we are in the bubble of everything, and there is no way out.

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I don't think that's going to change with a different manufacturer.

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i don't disagree at all. i will also be old and grumpy and dislike the next arrangement.

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Well, at least you're honest.

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