UNDER ARMOUR

THE UNDER ARMOUR CONNECTION

Kevin Plank, SJC class of 1990 and MVP of the 1989 championship victory against DeMatha, is the founder and owner of Under Armour, the originator of performance apparel. Plank started the company in 1996. Since then, Under Armour has been an industry leader. When Under Armour sold shares of the company for the first time in November 2005, the company posted the most successful initial product offering by an American company in five years, and the stock has continued to perform extraordinarily well. By 2010, the company was posting more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Under Armour is now an official supplier to Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the National Football League and just about every Division 1 program. Under Armour holds roughly 80% of the market share in the compression performance apparel market. The line of clothing is designed to keep athletes cool in the hot weather and warm in the cold weather, while alleviating muscle fatigue and wicking sweat away from the body. In 2006, Plank was named the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the retail and consumer products category. In 2005, Plank was named Industrialist of the Year by The Baltimore Museum of Industry. In 2012, Forbes magazine listed him as No. 3 on the list of the most powerful CEO’s in America under the age of 40. Plank has also been inducted into the Baltimore Business Journal’s Hall of Fame and has served on the St. John’s Board of Trustees.

Plank has stayed close to the St. John’s Athletic Department, specifically the baseball program. In 2007, the Cadets became the first team in the country to wear the Under Armour baseball uniform. Since that time, Under Armour has been the primary outfitter for everything our players wear on game day, including cleats, socks, T-shirts, cold gear, batting gloves, helmets and hats.

Under Armour is more than just gear to St. John’s athletes. For the students, it is a matter of pride to wear this athletic label created by a St. John’s alumnus.