South Carolina Gamecocks are showing they aren’t afraid to follow a trend that could help redefine their brand

On3's Kevin Miller wrote about a connection between USC and Nike.

"Both South Carolina AD Jeremiah Donati and Associate AD Wesley Mallette were sitting athletic directors at Nike schools before arriving in Columbia," Miller said. "While at TCU, Donati helped the Horned Frogs re-sign with the apparel company. Mallette aided in facilitating the first Nike/BSN Sports contract for UC-Riverside.

"Friday’s vote will not mean that the 2025-2026 school year will see the Gamecocks in new uniforms. The current contract with Under Armour runs through next summer," Miller said. "That means, barring something unforeseen, Friday’s announcement won’t affect Carolina’s uniforms until the 2026-2027 school year, when the iconic Nike swoosh will be on all garnet and black jerseys."

There is a trend with Under Armour programs moving away from the brand.

Auburn University just ended its Under Armour relationship and signed with Nike in a deal that began in July – leaving USC as the last SEC school to be with the brand. Another marquee brand, UCLA, dropped Under Armour three years in to its deal. Under Armour signed the university to a 15-year, $280 million deal. After a back-and-forth legal battle, Under Armour paid UCLA over $67 million and now the Bruins's apparel provider is Jordan Brand.

The Gamecocks have been with Under Armour since 2007 – signing a six-year, football-only contract worth $10.8 million. Under Armour began dressing all of USC's teams over the next few years as other sports on campus began phasing out Russell Athletic, adidas and Nike on individual contracts. A new six-year deal worth $19 million was agreed upon in 2011 which covered all of USC's teams.

The latest deal was a 10-year extension signed July 1, 2016, and is set to end June 30, 2026. In fact, the $71.5 million contract was the second-most valuable in the SEC and the seventh-most valuable in the country, per the university. Although, the deal entailed a clause requiring USC to exclusively negotiate with Under Armour for a renewal until January 1, 2026.

Now, per The Post and Courier, it would appear "the two have met and agreed it would be best for each to go their separate ways, which negated the Jan. 1 deadline".

With all the buzz around Shane Beamer's program heading into 2025 and Dawn Staley's women's basketball team being the premier program in the sport, the Nike swoosh being associated with South Carolina is going to not only change clothing racks, but it's going to change the perception of the entire university.