DeMatha over the past year made a change from Nike as an athletic sponsor to Under Armour. The change has not only impacted the gear of our athletic teams, but our school uniforms as well. Many throughout the school have mixed opinions about the change, but as the basketball team is the only team in DeMatha that will retain Nike as a sponsor, it would seem as if Under Armour’s footprint has fully arrived at our school.

According to an informal poll conducted among DeMatha students, 80% said they would rather have Nike as an athletic sponsor. While most junior and seniors still wear the spring uniforms with the Nike logo, more than half of the school wears the Under Armour uniforms, a situation which has taken some students by surprise. Junior Isaiah White said “We’ve been with Nike for so long; the change feels a little weird to me.”

On the other hand, the underclassmen seem a little more optimistic about having Under Armour as a sponsor. There was a 50-50 split in the voting among underclassmen about they felt about the school’s transition. Most underclassmen say they prefer Under Armour because of the fact that the brand seems to be trending more in 2017, with the success of many Under Armour athletes.

Under Armour CEO and St. John’s alum, Kevin Plank has capitalized on success of athletes such as Stephen Curry and Tom Brady. The success of the brand has not only made their apparel more popular in school but in the nation at large. Benefits like prices being lower than brands like Nike or Adidas, make the brand more competitive when it comes to competing with a millennial generation or just those who want good clothes in general

At the end of the day, the school is making yet another transition that may well help the DeMatha community at large. “I actually like the transition and think more schools are looking to go that way,” commented former JV basketball player Steve Settle.