CINCINNATI — Say goodbye to the Under Armour gear! The University of Cincinnati is returning to Nike and Jordan Brand.
While the news might not come as a surprise to eagle-eyed fans who noticed basketball coach Wes Miller sporting Jordan Brand apparel in April, UC officials confirmed Tuesday night that men's and women's basketball will wear Jordan Brand while other sports will have Nike apparel through a partnership with BSN Sports.
UC's teams will sport the new uniforms in their first Big 12 season, and fans will be able to begin purchasing Nike and Jordan brand Cincinnati gear in June 2023.
"This is a monumental moment for our more than 450 student-athletes and our entire athletic department," said John Cunningham, UC's director of athletics. "It was important for us to have stability in our apparel provider for years to come and to have a partner solidified as we joined the Big 12 this summer."
UC was one of the first schools to wear the Jumpman logo when the Jordan Brand first began to gather collegiate sponsorships in the late 90s. In an oral history of the decision published by Ian Stonebrook on Boardroom, former Jordan Brand Vice President Gentry Humphrey said they thought Cincinnati's red and black color combination was "iconic to the brand."
"To many of our fans, Jordan Brand represents the quintessential jersey of one of the top stretches in the history of Cincinnati basketball, while Nike has proved to be the driving force in athletics apparel innovation for decades," Cunningham said. "I can't wait to have the Swoosh and Jumpman logos join with our C-Paw marks once again."
The men's basketball program wore Jordan Brand apparel until UC switched to Adidas in 2006. The school then moved to Under Armour in 2015. Fans of the Under Armour look can still purchase the apparel here.
As of this year, Jordan Brand college basketball schools include the Florida Gators, Houston Cougars, Michigan Wolverines, Marquette Golden Eagles and (of course) the North Carolina Tar Heels. Jordan Brand also ventured into other sports in 2016, becoming the sole equipment provider for teams like Michigan and UNC.
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