The Nike-Under Armour war is getting heated in the NCAA Tournament
When the NCAA Tournament is over, there is a very good chance the winning team will be wearing Nike or Jordan-branded shoes. However, Nike is no longer dominating March Madness like it did in past years and the tournament has become the latest battleground in the war between the shoe giant and their upstart rival, Under Armour.
This year, 41 of the 68 (60%) schools in the NCAA Tournament are contracted to wear shoes from Nike or their subsidiary, Jordan Brand, according to data obtained by Sports Business Daily. Just six years ago, more than 80% of the schools (55 of 68) were wearing Nike and they still had 51 two year ago. Most of Nike's loss has been Under Armour's gain as 12 of the schools will be wearing footwear from Under Armour, up from one just three years ago.
Meanwhile, Adidas has remained steady, providing shoes for 11-19 schools over the last six years, including 15 this year.
