In his first move as the new athletic director, Joe Giunta has just inked a deal with Under Armour that will provide new uniforms and gear for all of Dickinson’s athletic teams.

Giunta comes from Temple University in Philadelphia. The Owls are outfitted by Under Armour, so the transition for Dickinson to the new apparel partner may stem from connections in place from Temple.

Officially beginning Jan. 1, 2016 and running through June 30, 2021, the deal will provide a “pretty considerable discount on all Under Armour products. Both gear, wearing apparel and also sneakers,” for “all the intercollegiate athletic sports teams,” Giunta said in an interview.  Also included in the deal are incentives for success.  If a “team wins a conference championship, Under Armour will give t-shirts to the whole team,” Giunta said. 

Although the deal is through the athletic department, “the discount that we have in the contract can be used by other groups on campus. So if a club or rec team…, would like to purchase at our discounted rate, we’d be able to work that out,” he stated. 

Giunta said that Dickinson has “three years to phase out all of our non-Under Armour gear.”  This way the teams that “are up for their uniforms and would’ve gotten their uniforms next” will be the first to sport Under Armour on their uniforms.  “I hope to have some equitable process on who’s up for uniforms based on the age and the upkeep or the lack thereof of those uniforms,” Giunta said.

“I priced out Under Armour throughout all of our teams and I think we’re going to end up saving money by doing this deal,” Giunta said.  He added that “there is a end of the year percentage that we get back based on the amount of money we spend…. each team, if they spend x [amount of dollars], they’ll get that percentage back at the end of the year.”

Not only will Dickinson be saving money, the uniforming of all teams in the athletic department with one brand will help with recruiting, according to Giunta.  “To have our uniforms all over the place in years past, I don’t know if that hurt recruiting, but I think having all Under Armour gear and apparel, will certainly help,” Giunta said. 

Under Armour, a Baltimore based company, will work through a local dealer to supply Dickinson with the apparel, Giunta said.  “That’s how all these deals work, no matter who you go with…, they all are funneled through a local team dealer,” he said.  Kelly Sports in Harrisburg, the dealer, will help do the “legwork in setting up web stores for alums, family, fans…, to purchase Dickinson… gear at a certain discounted price,” Giunta said. 

By signing this deal with Under Armour, Dickinson is catching up to most other schools in division 3 who have deals of this nature in place already. According to Giunta.  “Nowadays it’s almost if you’re not [associated with an apparel company], I think you’re missing out on something,” he said, “so it’s something I thought Dickinson College and Dickinson athletics needed and deserved.”  The deal was completed on Nov. 10.