Howard University athletic program is jumping ship with their apparel deal. Howard announced on Thursday the school has entered a 20-year pact with the Jordan Brand.
Jordan will provide uniforms, shoes and other equipment for the Bison’s athletic programs. They will also dress Howard’s iconic marching band. The first of Jumpman uniforms will debut on Aug. 27 when the football team plays Alabama A&M in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta.
Howard athletic programs have been outfitted by Under Armour since 2016. That deal expired this summer. The Bison became the first Division I historically black college and university to join Jordan since North Carolina A&T did so in the brand’s early days going back to 1997.
Jordan will look to elevate Howard’s presence with recruiting and “inspire a new generation of excellence.”
Jordan continues to deepen its presence in the Washington, D.C. area. The brand has an apparel deal with Georgetown University. It also has shoe deals with Washington Wizards players Bradley Beal and Rui Hachimura.
As part of the deal, Jordan committed $100M to the Black community to help “advance the work of organizations fighting to create systemic change.”
Jordan’s current college roster includes Michael Jordan’s alma mater North Carolina, UCLA, Michigan, Marquette, Morehouse, San Diego State, Houston, Oklahoma, Georgetown and Florida in addition to Howard.
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