TOWSON ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH UNDER ARMOUR

Tigers to be Fitted in Under Armour Apparel and Footwear Through 2017-18 Academic Year

BALTIMORE, Md. – The Towson University Department of Athletics has announced it has extended its relationship with Under Armour, Inc., a Baltimore-based leader in innovative performance apparel, footwear, equipment, and accessories, to provide on-field apparel, accessories, equipment, and footwear for all Tiger athletics programs through the 2017-18 academic year. The extension adds five years to the original four-year agreement that was signed in 2009.

Under Armour is a company that was built on the idea of innovation from the beginning and has grown into a global brand with the mission to make all athletes better.

“This is an exciting announcement for Towson,” said Director of Athletics Mike Waddell. “As a part of the greater Baltimore community that includes Under Armour itself, we are honored that they have seen the vision that the University and athletics administrations have set forth and they want to be a part of it. Under Armour is a leader and innovator in the athletic performance apparel industry, both core values that speak to the heart of Towson University, academically and athletically.”

“Towson is a remarkable university with both outstanding academics and athletics and Under Armour is thrilled to continue this partnership,” said Walker Jones, Sr., Director, Sports Marketing, Under Armour. “We look forward to working with Mike and his team to provide the Tigers with competitive advantages on the field through our innovation in performance products.”

About Towson University Athletics

Towson University offers the most comprehensive sports program in the metropolitan Baltimore area, fielding 20 varsity teams that compete in the Colonial Athletic Association. Since joining the league in 2001-02, the Tigers have won CAA titles in football, men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s swimming and diving, women’s volleyball, men’s soccer and men’s golf. A number of student-athletes have gone on to enjoy professional careers, including most recently Jermon Bushrod, the All-Pro left tackle for the 2010 Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints; outfielder Casper Wells of the Seattle Mariners; and shooting guard Gary Neal of the San Antonio Spurs. In May 2011, the department broke ground on the future of Towson Athletics as it began construction of Tiger Arena, a new 5,000-seat, state-of-the-art arena for basketball, volleyball and gymnastics, slated to open this Spring.

About Under Armour, Inc.

Under Armour® (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with European headquarters in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium, and additional offices in Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China. For further information, please visit the Company’s website at www.ua.com.

Glydon, MD January 7, 2013; 11:27AM EST:

The Performance of Under Armour,
Made for Sagamore Racing

Sagamore Racing, the horse racing team based at historic Sagamore Farm in Maryland, announced today the launch of an online store which includes Sagamore Racing branded Under Armour apparel for men and women. Fans of Sagamore may purchase the premium products online at SagamoreRacingStore.com.

With the launch of an online store, fans can show their support for the team with an array of apparel options custom designed for Sagamore Racing. Under Armour, the Maryland-based leader in sports performance apparel, footwear and accessories, exclusively produced products for the store, including men’s and women’s Coaches and Performance Polos, Long and Short Sleeve Graphic T-Shirts, Tactical Full Zip Hoodies, Barragie Team Jackets and Full Button Woven Shirts. All items offer Under Armour’s signature durability, comfort and guarantee of performance.

“As Sagamore Racing continues to grow and succeed, we were encouraged to create an online apparel store to meet the demand by our great fan base in Maryland and throughout horse racing,” said Tom Mullikin, Sagamore Racing General Manager. “2012 was an exciting year for our team, and in 2013 we have our largest line-up of three-year-old horses competing. We hope to see fans out at the track sporting our gear.”

With each purchase, customers will receive a keepsake which includes information on Sagamore Racing and horses to watch in 2013. Last week, Sagamore’s homebred filly, Walkwithapurpose, captured the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship at Laurel Park.

The brightest 3-year-old male star at Sagamore Farm is Heat Press. This son of Malibu Moon broke his maiden on Dec. 8th at Laurel Park, winning by 14 lengths and is being conditioned by Kenutcky Derby winning trainer H. Graham Motion, in hopes for a run at the Triple Crown.

About Sagamore Racing:
Sagamore Racing is a professional horse racing team based at historic Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Md. Once owned by Alfred G. Vanderbilt II, Sagamore Farm was developed into a world renowned racing and breeding operation from 1933 – 1986. During that time, Sagamore became home and the eventual resting place of Hall of Fame horses Native Dancer, Bed o’Roses and Discovery. In 2007, Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank, a Maryland native, purchased the 530-acre farm implementing a long-term restoration plan with the mission to breed, raise and race Thoroughbreds at the sport’s highest level, while preserving its storied and rich tradition.

UMBC Announces Under Armour As Official Outfitter Of Retriever Athletics

BALTIMORE- UMBC Athletics today announced that Under Armour, Inc., the Baltimore-based leader in athletic performance apparel, footwear, and accessories will be the official outfitter of Retriever Athletics through 2018.

Under Armour will outfit 17 of UMBC’s 19 varsity teams from head-to-toe including all game-day uniforms, training gear and footwear. UMBC’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving squads are the only two teams not covered by the agreement.

“I am very excited about the agreement with Under Armour as it ensures that Retriever Athletics will be wearing best-in-class athletic performance gear,” Director of Athletics Dr. Charles Brown said. “Feedback from our student-athletes has been overwhelmingly positive and we are looking forward to what is to come!”

UMBC’s new official outfitter agreement includes entitlements that will complement Under Armour’s marketing campaigns through venue presence and advertising at the university.  Those entitlements include signage at the RAC Arena, UMBC Stadium, Retriever Soccer Park, The Baseball Factory Field at UMBC, and the softball complex; print media advertising, online advertising on the official webpage of UMBC Athletics, www.umbcretrievers.com, and advertising via UMBC Athletics’ streaming site, www.umbcretrievers.tv.

“The new relationship with Under Armour is a tremendous advantage for our department,” Senior Associate Director of Athletics Gary Wohlstetter added.  “We are very proud to be associated with a hometown company right here in Baltimore. Under Armour is the leader in the athletic apparel industry when it comes to both performance and style.”

Coach Speak:

Co-Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach Amy Appelt

‘We are very excited about expanding our relationship with Under Armour.  They provide a great product for our student-athletes.  It’s very rewarding for one of the top up-and-coming universities in the country to partner with one of the most innovative athletic brands in the world, right here in Baltimore!”

Head Women’s Basketball Coach Phil Stern

“We are so excited to be on board with Under Armour. They are so innovative and creative and will help make our program even more visible. Our players and coaches are all thrilled with the new products we have already started to wear.”

Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Don Zimmerman

“Our men’s lacrosse program is excited to expand our existing Under Armour partnership. We appreciate Under Armour’s support of our program and look forward to a longstanding relationship.”

Honorable Mention: Golf: PGA Tour Wyndham Championship (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Greensboro, NC), Champions Tour Dick’s Sporting Goods Open (Friday 12:30pm Saturday & Sunday 3pm from Endicott, NY live on Golf Channel), LPGA Tour Safeway Classic (Friday & Saturday 6:30pm Sunday 7:30pm from North Plains, OR live on Golf Channel); WNBA: Washington Mystics @ Indiana Fever (Thursday 7pm from Indianapolis live on WNBA.com), Washington Mystics @ Minnesota Lynx (Friday 8pm from Minneapolis live on NBA TV), Chicago Sky @ Washington Mystics (Sunday 4pm from Chicago live on Comcast SportsNet/NBA TV); Auto Racing: NASCAR Pure Michigan 400 (Sunday 12pm from Brooklyn, MI live on ESPN)

10. My Morning Jacket (Saturday 5:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); John Prine/Emmylou Harris (Wednesday 7:30pm Wolf Trap); Cinderella (Friday 7:30pm Rams Head Live); Bob Schneider (Wednesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Soul Asylum (Saturday 8:30pm Rams Head on Stage); Dirty Projectors/Wye Oak (Friday & Saturday 8pm 9:30 Club); Chrisette Michelle (Tuesday & Wednesday 8pm Howard Theatre); Jane’s Addiction (Tuesday 7pm Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric); Hot August Blues feat. Trombone Shorty/Gov’t Mule/Cris Jacobs Band (Saturday 11:30am Oregon Ridge); Nonpoint (Monday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage)

Dude I’ve probably watched the video of Emmylou Harris playing “Long Black Veil” with Dave Matthews SIX MILLION TIMES in my life….

Bob Schneider does a song called “Honeypot” that as far as I’m concerned is just the bees knees…

Jane’s Addiction taught me so much about prostitution when I was a young man…

If you’re into Trombone Shorty you’re just likely not into anything human beings should possibly enjoy…

9. Baltimore County Restaurant Week (Thursday-Sunday throughout Baltimore County); Baltimore Improv Festival (Thursday-Sunday Creative Alliance); Wayans Brothers (Tuesday & Wednesday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Godfrey (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); “The Expendables 2″ in theaters (Friday); Shark Week (Tuesday-Thursday Discovery Channel)

A recommendation. Go to Jimmy’s Famous Seafood during Restaurant Week. Order the Kung Pao Shrimp Tacos. Don’t bother wearing pants.

And since it’s Shark Week, here’s Tracy Morgan…

From ESPN.com’s Paul Lukas (you may be aware of his “Uni Watch” column) comes this treat on Twitter this morning.

Here is what Lukas has described as a “legit developmental rendering” of the new Maryland basketball “PRIDE” uniforms from Under Armour.

In a recent interview on “The Reality Check”, Terrapins basketball coach Mark Turgeon had hinted the unis wouldn’t be quite as wild as the Terps’ football PRIDE unis. If these end up being what the Terps wear to the Comcast Center floor (they won’t be primary uniforms), he’ll be right.

Here’s a statement from the University…

“The Pride design has become a central part of the identity of Maryland Athletics and it presents a tremendous opportunity to be incorporated into our basketball program. However, the designs being circulated today on the internet are only draft renderings. Maryland Athletics and Under Armour will make sure our fans know when we launch Pride for Maryland Basketball.” 

Thoughts?

Honorable Mention: WNBA-Indiana Fever @ Washington Mystics (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Tennis: ATP Garry Weber Open (Tuesday-Saturday 1pm from Halle, GER on Tennis Channel)

10. Bonnie Raitt (Sunday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion); Beach Boys (Friday 6:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Neil Diamond (Thursday 8pm Verizon Center); Dave Matthews Band/Gary Clark Jr. (Saturday 7pm Jiffy Lube Live); Martina McBride (Wednesday 8pm Wolf Trap); Reel Big Fish (Friday 8pm Power Plant Live); Of Montreal (Thursday 8pm Recher Theatre); Lindsey Buckingham (Thursday 9pm Baltimore Soundstage), Lisa Marie Presley (Friday 8:30pm Baltimore Soundstage); Kelly Bell Band/Cris Jacobs (Saturday 7pm 8×10 Club); Robert Cray Band (Thursday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Grouplove (Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club); The Cult (Tuesday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Bouncing Souls (Tuesday 7:30pm Black Cat DC); Ziggy Marley (Wednesday 8pm Howard Theatre), Little Richard (Saturday 8pm Howard Theatre); Keane (Thursday 8pm Strathmore); Rush “Clockwork Angels” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

I’ve already established that “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is the greatest Beach Boys song of all time. Now I point out that I’m an absolute hack because I also enjoy this clip from Full House…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOZ5dEiZYCo

A lot of people know I’m a significant Dave Matthews fan. But do you know that I’ve proclaimed my all time favorite Dave Matthews tune to be THIS?…

And if you go see DMB don’t stay in the parking lot too long. Gary Clark Jr. is freaking AMAZING. You may remember him from a collaboration he had with Ray Lewis a few weeks back at the NFL Draft…

Wait…The Cult? Isn’t that the band that does the song from that commercial in that Super Bowl?

9. Star-Spangled Sailabration (Wednesday-Monday Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Locust Point); “Rock of Ages” and “That’s My Boy” out in theaters (Friday); Gilbert Gottfried (Saturday Magooby’s Joke House); Richard Lewis (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Gary Valentine (Thursday-Saturday DC Improv)

Ryan Chell and I are going to see That’s My Boy Tuesday night. It will probably make six billion dollars and everyone involved will get new cars. It used to piss me off because I don’t really find Adam Sandler’s shtick to be funny anymore, but there are a couple issues involved. One-Adam Sandler sat down with us at the Super Bowl and was really nice. He even opened up about my idol Chris Farley, which is something I found out later he really never does…

Two-over the past few months I’ve developed a unique friendship with Happy Madison star Peter Dante, who might be the best human being on the face of the planet. He’s the guy on the right below…

So now I hope the movie is funny and they make a billion dollars. Damn you, nice guys.

Baltimore, MD (June 8, 2012) – The Baltimore Ravens, who play at M&T Bank Stadium in Camden Yards, and Under Armour (NYSE: UA), the leader in performance apparel, footwear and accessories, whose global headquarters are located downtown at Locust Point, are joining forces in a wide-ranging collaboration that will feature multiple community-focused initiatives. The ten-year agreement also includes naming rights for the Ravens’ practice facility in Owings Mills, which will be renamed the Under Armour Performance Center.

These dynamic organizations are led by nationally-recognized business and civic leaders.  Both Steve Bisciotti, owner of the Baltimore Ravens, and Kevin Plank, the Founder, CEO and Chairman of Under Armour, have enjoyed tremendous success both in the United States and abroad.

“I love the Under Armour brand and am proud that it is Baltimore-based,” Bisciotti said. “They started with football wear that players wanted, and still do. They produce great products. Under Armour is the only partner for our training center. Their success has been off the charts, and this partnership will serve as a long-term platform that will showcase to the nation the best of what two of Baltimore’s strongest companies have to offer.

“We’ve enjoyed a great relationship with Steve and the Ravens over the years.  The Under Armour Performance Center is a facility that reflects our shared commitment to making all athletes better and to help the Ravens players excel on game-day,” said Plank. “We are even more excited that our partnership extends off-the-field, and will allow both of us to implement meaningful changes in the community.”

While both the Ravens and Under Armour have been active in improving the community, the two companies will combine to empower local youth and schools through football initiatives.  Specific youth football programs include the creation of annual grants, multiple clinics and statewide competitions.  Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and his assistants will play an active role in some of these programs, including a free Under Armour-sponsored clinic for over 400 Carroll County youth on June 16 at McDaniel College.

The creation of an annual 7-on-7 high school flag-football tournament, which already has attracted registration from 72 schools and more than 1,400 students for 2012, highlights the competitive elements of the agreement.

A visible component of the partnership is the renaming of the Ravens’ practice facility to the Under Armour Performance Center, which will host local and national media throughout the year and will showcase two of the city’s most successful corporate entities.

Under Armour recently announced the launch of a local community-based empowerment program, entitled “WIN Baltimore.” The platform is designed to spark positive social change throughout Baltimore and its surrounding neighborhoods by fueling the social, educational and physical advancement of the boys and girls who will serve as the future business and community leaders of the region.

The Ravens franchise, founded in 1996, won Super Bowl XXXV in January of 2001. The team has earned playoffs berths in five of the last six seasons, and they are the NFL’s only team to appear in the playoffs in each of the last four seasons – posting at least one victory in each of those postseasons. Long recognized for their community involvement, the Ravens’ mission is to win football games, serve their fans and be a positive force in the community.

About Under Armour, Inc.

Under Armour^® (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with European headquarters in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium, and additional offices in Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China. For further information, please visit the Company’s website at www.ua.com.

The University of Maryland is making some changes to the playing surface at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium in College Park. This much we know for sure.

How much more we don’t fully know yet. I reached out to a spokesperson at the school and was told this…

“Construction has started on a new surface at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. The project is being funded with private donations and will be completed in time for the upcoming season. Further details will be available soon.” 

Via Facebook/Twitter/message boards, a rumored look at what the field could look like has been making the rounds…

I have to stress that this is only a RUMOR at this point. I’ve poked around with a few other sources in College Park and have received responses like “I’m pretty sure there’s going to be turtle shells on the field” and “they’ve definitely talked about changing the color of the field.”

The most famous football field perhaps in the world belongs to Boise State University, as Bronco Stadium’s blue turf would be recognized just about anywhere…

BSU isn’t the only school to do something significant with their turf. Eastern Washington University’s Roos Field is known as “The Inferno” thanks to this color…

The NFL has actually implemented a “Boise State rule” preventing teams from changing turf colors from the traditional green.

The Terrapins would not be making their first cry for attention, as they garnered PLENTY of buzz on Labor Day last year when they introduced these Under Armour duds in a win over Miami…

For the record, I don’t much care what the Terps wear or what kind of field they play on. As I told former Maryland/Baltimore Ravens CB Domonique Foxworth in an interview last year, if the Terps were competing for a BCS Championship I’d sign off on them wearing Duke uniforms for the game.

But…what do you think? Is the rumored look of the field too much?

-G

BALTIMORE – The Loyola University Maryland men’s and women’s lacrosse teams gathered Thursday afternoon to celebrate a special commencement ceremony since they will miss Saturday’s school-wide festivities to play in their respective NCAA Championships.

Nine student-athletes – five from the men’s team and four from the women’s – received their Loyola diplomas from University President Rev. Brian Linnane and other members of the Loyola faculty and administration.

“This is one of the most special events we have the privilege of celebrating at Loyola,” said Jim Paquette, Loyola’s Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics. “Our student-athletes see this as another way to stay together as a class, advancing far enough into the NCAA Championships so they graduate in a special way as a team. The graduates and their families get to celebrate the event in a small, intimate setting that has a true family and team atmosphere.”

Kip Fulks, Chief Operating Officer of Under Armour and a former lacrosse All-American at the University of Maryland, delivered the commencement address.

Ana Heneberry, Kellye Gallagher, Kerry Stoothoff and Virginia Weber received their degrees, while their counterparts from the men’s team – Pat Byrnes, J.P. Dalton, Dylan Grimm, Eric Tillman and Alex Yackery – accepted theirs.

Also honored at the ceremony were three seniors who are members of Loyola’s golf team: Ryan McCarthy, Patrick McCormick and Jay Mulieri. The trio is currently leading the Greyhounds at the NCAA Regional in Athens, Ga., and will not attend graduation ceremonies on Saturday.

Both teams will be in action Saturday as their classmates are graduating from the school. The women, who are the No. 6 seed in their Championships, will play at No. 3 Maryland in a 12 noon game in College Park, Md., and the top-seeded men will take on the University of Denver in Annapolis, Md.

Opening Face-Off
Towson will be looking to win consecutive games for the first time this season as the Tigers host Navy at Johnny Unitas® Stadium on Tuesday evening. The game, which is sponsored by Under Armour, will be broadcast on WNST-AM 1570 with Spiro Morekas and Hunter Lochte calling the action.

Updating the Tigers
Now 2-2 on the season, the Tigers will be looking to remain perfect at home after topping Mount St. Mary’s 10-8 in their home opener March 3. Sophomore Thomas DeNapoli tallied a team-high three goals to lead Towson past The Mount and the midfielder is now second on the squad with seven goals. Senior attackman Sean Maguire tallied his third multi-goal game of the season in the win and he now leads Towson with eight goals and 10 points.

Scouting the Midshipmen
Navy snapped its three-game losing streak Saturday by topping Lafayette, 12-7, on the road. After opening the year with a win at VMI, the Midshipmen dropped contests against Jacksonville, No. 4 North Carolina and Bucknell. Navy’s only common opponent thus far with Towson is Jacksonville. The Midshipmen lost by a 13-7 score while the Tigers upended the Dolphins 12-10 in their season opener. Both games were played in Jacksonville. Navy is led by standout sophomore Tucker Hull, who has a remarkable 27 points on 15 goals and 12 assists. Classmate Sam Jones is second on the squad with 16 points on nine goals and seven assists.

Last Year’s Towson-Navy Meeting
After four lead changes and five ties Navy executed a late 6-0 run to rally from a three-goal third quarter deficit and hand Towson a 14-11 loss in Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. The 10th meeting between the two schools on the lacrosse field more resembled a ping-pong game with back-and-forth lead changes and momentum swings. But Navy mounted the final charge that erased an 11-8 Tigers’ lead with 3:04 left in the third quarter that lifted the Midshipmen to victory. Matt Hughes led the Tigers with three goals in the loss.

Towson-Navy Series History
The Tigers and Midshipmen will be meeting for the 11th time on the lacrosse field tonight. Navy owns a 6-4 advantage in the series, but Towson has won two of the last three meetings.