Davidson College athletics have been sponsored by Under Armour since 2016. A decade later, following prominent alumnus Stephen Curry’s recent departure from the brand, that partnership could soon come to an end.
In a Nov. 13 press release, Under Armour announced plans for the sportswear company to separate from Stephen Curry and the Curry Brand. Curry signed with Under Armour in 2013. The pair launched the Curry Brand in 2020.
“Under Armour believed in me early in my career and gave me the space to build something much bigger and more impactful than a shoe. I’ll always be grateful for that,” Curry said in an Under Armour press release announcing his departure. “Curry Brand was created to change the game for good and over the past 5 years, we successfully changed the game for kids, for communities, and for basketball. What Curry Brand stands for, what I stand for and my commitment to that mission will never change, it’s only growing stronger. I’m excited for a future that’s focused on aggressive growth with a continued commitment to keep showing up for the next generation.”
Curry has not made public whether he will sign with another shoe brand. Since the announcement, the four time NBA champion has continued to wear Curry Brand shoes in regular season games for the Golden State Warriors. However, Curry has represented other shoe brands in warm-ups, including pairs of Kobe Bryant’s signature Nike shoe and Shaquille O’Neal’s signature Reebok shoe.
Curry signed with Nike upon entering the NBA in 2009 after wearing Nike apparel for three years at Davidson. Nike famously botched a pitch meeting for Curry to re-sign with the company in the 2013 offseason, which led to Curry signing with Under Armour.
Curry was already extremely popular for his uncanny three-point shooting ability, but had not yet garnered superstar recognition. Curry went on to win his first NBA championship and the Most Valuable Player award in 2015. He cemented his status as an all-time great by becoming the first player in NBA history to be unanimously voted MVP in 2016, helping the Warriors win an NBA record 73 regular season games. He also led the Warriors to NBA titles in 2017, 2018, and 2022.
When Davidson signed with Under Armour in March 2016, former Vice President of Sports Marketing and Sponsorships at Under Armour Ryan Kuehl cited Davidson’s connection to the company. “Davidson holds a special place in the Under Armour story, as the alma mater of one of our top athletes, Stephen Curry,” Kuehl said. “We are thrilled to continue that story and outfit the Wildcats student-athletes and community in Under Armour for many years to come.”
Curry was publicly supportive of Davidson’s decision to partner with Under Armour. “I take great pride in my Alma Mater,” Curry said in Davidson’s announcement. “Davidson is such a key part of my history and journey to the NBA and I’m thrilled that they have joined the Under Armour family.”
Davidson College Athletic Director Chris Clunie confirmed Curry’s role in Davidson switching sponsors from Nike to Under Armour in 2016. “Steph was involved in that. He was the big reason for the flip,” Clunie said. “He wanted Davidson to represent.”
When asked if he thought Curry still wanted Davidson to represent him, Clunie admitted that it was possible but insisted that Davidson would not determine Curry’s next brand deal.
“At the end of the day, what [Curry] is doing is not going to be driven by [Davidson]. Even if we were to factor into whatever’s next, the decision of where he’s going to go is not going to be driven by Davidson.”
Clunie played for the Davidson men’s basketball team from 2003 to 2006—the year before Curry’s freshman season for the Wildcats. After graduating, Clunie spent a decade working for the San Antonio Spurs before serving as the NBA’s director for international basketball operations. In 2018, he returned to Davidson as athletic director. Clunie was a four year teammate of Head Men’s Basketball Coach Matt McKillop. Clunie, McKillop and Curry were all coached by Bob McKillop, Matt’s father. Bob McKillop held the head coaching position before his son from 1989 until retiring in 2022.
Clunie and the McKillop family have maintained a positive relationship with Curry since his time at Davidson. Curry was named assistant general manager for Davidson men’s basketball earlier this year.
Clunie said that he received a “heads up” from Curry before the news of his separation from Under Armour was made public, but indicated that they had not otherwise discussed brand partnerships.
“[Davidson] didn’t play a role. We had nothing to do with it. That was all Steph, Thirty Ink, his team and his negotiations,” Clunie said.
Thirty Ink is a collective housing all of Curry’s business entities, such as Curry Academy and Under Rated. Thirty Ink is partnered with Curry Brand.
Curry’s separation from Under Armour opens the door for Davidson to explore other brand sponsorships. Davidson’s contract with Under Armour expires on June 30, 2026. By next academic year, Davidson could represent a different company. However, Clunie and the athletic department are focused on the present.
“We’re still Under Armour through June 30, so we will figure out pretty soon what our next course of action is. It doesn’t really change anything for us right now. Through June 30 we’re fully on board [with Under Armour], but there is an opportunity and likely there will be some exploration as to what could happen next,” Clunie said.
Clunie also said that he and the athletic department are unable to think ahead for contractual reasons. Should Davidson follow in Curry’s footsteps, possible options for future contracts include returning to partnership with Nike or signing a contract with a different sportswear company. Davidson could also opt to renegotiate with Under Armour.
Now that Curry Brand is separate from Under Armour, Davidson could pursue a greater relationship with Curry Brand individually. Davidson’s men’s and women’s basketball teams have worn Curry Brand gear since the 2020-2021 season. If Curry Brand expanded into other sports, Davidson could make some of its other athletic programs Curry Brand sponsored. This kind of deal has been reached before in college athletics: the University of North Carolina’s basketball and football teams are sponsored by Air Jordan, Michael Jordan’s brand.
Clunie discussed the possibility of Curry Brand building itself as a standalone entity.
“[Curry] has the ability to do anything, which is kind of cool. The Curry Brand and just his starpower are tremendous—the brand, fanbase and social media platform that he’s built. He’s also done great work in the community, it’s not just been him as a basketball player. I think that all leads to how his brand has expanded.”
Davidson students, coaches and fans will have to wait until the College’s current contract with Under Armour expires. Despite speculation that Curry’s decision may be a telltale sign of what the future holds for Davidson, for the moment, much is left up in the air.
“So much of [Curry’s decision] is not driven by Davidson,” Clunie reaffirmed. “We may end up being a part moving forward, but as of right now, we’re focused on being good partners and finishing out our deal [with Under Armour]. Then, we’ll see where the chips lie.”