Guard the Post: Notre Dame shows LGBT athletes support, despite Catholic association

Three weeks ago, the University of Notre Dame, possibly the most famous Catholic University in the world, released a video on the internet that has since gone viral. In association with the You Can Play project, Notre Dame's athletic department tells all their athletes, no matter their sexual orientation or sport, that they can play.

Under Armour: Making Big Moves

Under Armour has been clawing its way into the sporting goods industry for almost two decades now. They may finally be making moves that will solidify their well built brand. The big news of late was the historic signing of Notre Dame within the past week. Signing Notre Dame is the equivalent of getting to check mate in chess. Notre Dame football is big business. They are the second most valuable college football team in the country behind the University of Texas. In a Forbes article written by Monte Burke, University Vice President and Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick said that “the largest financial commitment ever made by a brand to a university.”. In 2008 the University of Michigan signed an $8.2 million annual cash and equipment deal which was the largest ever. This deal could very well be upwards of $100 million total. You can read more about this major deal in Alexa Fontanella’s article for The Sports Complex.

Innovation Is Key: Under Armour and Notre Dame Join Forces

    

Under Armour is taking over the world of college sports. Although this statement may not be completely accurate, the company sure is making major deals to compete with fellow competitors Nike and Adidas. The company endorses top athletes such as Michael Phelps, Tom Brady, Lindsey Vonn, and Cam Newton, as well as becoming the official apparel provider to the up and coming National Lacrosse League. However, most recently Under Armour has shown much interest in college football by providing Auburn's uniforms in the national championship game and most recently signing a $100 million dollar equipment deal with Notre Dame.

The Closer: Is the ACC the next major conference to have it's own TV channel?

Yesterday, it was announced that the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) had financially locked in all of its current and future schools. The conference did this through a vote to approve the grant of media rights for the entire conference. This effectively stops any schools from leaving the conference during the entirety of the contract, which runs through the 2026-27 year.