Under Armour

From Free net encyclopedia

(Difference between revisions)

Revision as of 08:07, 9 April 2006
Pegasusbot (Talk | contribs)
fixing redirects from [[NCAA]] to [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] using [[Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]]
Next diff →

Current revision

Image:Ua4.jpg Under Armour Template:Nasdaq is a brand of clothing designed for use in sports. It is most often worn underneath uniforms (like baseball or basketball jerseys) or pads (like football or lacrosse shoulder pads).

Under Armour led the trend of form-fitting, moisture-wicking performance apparel which was soon imitated by Nike, with their Dri-FIT line, and by Reebok, with their NFL Equipment line.

[edit]

History

The company was founded in 1996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank, who had captained the Terrapin special teams. Remembering how he had to change cotton T-shirts that were soaked with sweat several times a game, he developed a prototype of a microfiber T-shirt designed to keep a player dry and light during intense physical activity. He quickly persuaded two college teams, both located in warm climates, to purchase his gear: Georgia Tech, located in frequently hot and humid Atlanta, and Arizona State, in the searing desert of the Phoenix area. The NFL's Atlanta Falcons shortly followed suit. Since then, the number of teams using Under Armour gear has increased to include the vast majority of NCAA Division I-A football programs and almost all NFL teams. The company also makes clothing for many other sports.

Under Armour's corporate headquarters is located in Baltimore. In 2003, the company began running ads with a football "warrior" theme and the tag line "We must protect this house!" voiced by Dallas Cowboys defensive end Eric Ogbogu (the company continues to use this tag line to this day). In 2004, Under Armour designed the uniforms for the Maryland Terrapins football team, and ran a commercial featuring Terps coach Ralph Friedgen.

On November 18, 2005, Under Armour released its IPO. The stock had the second highest increase in share price ever for the first day of trading, debuting at $13, and doubling to close at just over $26 per share.

[edit]