Under Armour Drops CIAA Capsule Inspired by Baltimore Basketball

For 30 years, Under Armour has been one of the leading brands in the sports apparel industry. With its headquarters in Baltimore, the brand is the official "hometown partner" of the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) and recently extended its exclusive apparel and footwear partnership through 2029.

In partnership with the nation's oldest HBCU athletic conference, Under Armour has released a new capsule collection just in time for the CIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament, running from Feb. 24 - 28, 2026.

Kicks On SI spoke with Devin Allen, UA photographer and designer of the collection, and Jeffrey Oguamanam, Creative Strategist and Content Producer, about the capsule collection, the importance of HBCUs, and being inspired by the "Charm City."

Tell us about the special relationship between Under Armour and Baltimore?

Allen: Our founder, Kevin Plank, had his first office in Baltimore, so Under Armour has been rooted in the city from the get-go. He also went to the University of Maryland. Oguamanam and I are Baltimore natives. Under Armor has been vital to the growth in our communities, for our sports. We grew up with it. I joined the team around 10 years ago.

They found me on Twitter during the Baltimore Uprising when one of my images landed on the cover of Time Magazine. The executives were like ‘Who's this kid from West Baltimore taking these pictures? They brought me and started to sponsor me. They invested in me, put me on all the Curry tours, and has been fundamental in helping me give back to my community through photography.

Under Armour basketball apparel in a store. — Pieces from Under Armour's CIAA Capsule. | Under Armour

Oguamanam: Something Devin and I talk about a lot is how we can use our platform to continue to bring Under Armour closer to Baltimore and also the city closer to Under Armour. Growing up playing sports, the first time I got an Under Armour shirt, it was like, "Wow, you're embracing the home team."

I always wanted to work in the sports industry, and so when I got the opportunity to intern almost 13-14 years ago, I was working for the home team. It's like a badge of honor to wear the Under Armor logo. And I think you see that pride throughout the city with the brand.

There are a lot of commonalities with our brand and the city of Baltimore. So it's always great when we get opportunities like this to do something that really is going to impact the city of Baltimore, but also change the narrative for the better.

Under Armour basketball shirt on a mannequin. — Pieces from Under Armour's CIAA Capsule. | Under Armour

How was it to work on the CIAA capsule collection this year?

Oguamanam:Last year was the first time we did a collection. This year, we wanted to do it even better. We ask them What do you want to see for this upcoming collection? And so it was funny when I think we had our meeting first with Devin, with the team, and then I got the email from CIAA and I said to them, 'Wow, we're one on one in terms of the vision of their feedback, and where we want to take this, you know, and bringing back the theme of coming on to Baltimore.

Allen: I think all the stars aligned, but we had to fight to keep CIAA here for the city. The city really wanted it, and this is something that has been in the making. And Under Armour has been trying to get closer to the city, as Jo said. So when this kind of came our direction, we had already started this football "From Baltimore, For Baltimore" concept that started way back in 2019 when they wanted to highlight me for Black History Month.

Under Armour basketball apparel in a gym. — Pieces from Under Armour's CIAA Capsule. | Under Armour

That sparked us to create some Black History Month shoes and clothes; he has on one of the old hoodies right there. We used some of my photographs, and we were able to use local basketball players, some of these kids who were playing in the CIAA now, and go to a lot of the HBCUs. So when CIAA came, it just fell in line with everything.

The CIAA tournament is one of the top events in HBCU sports. How has it been to play a major role in the tournament this year?

Oguamanam: The partnership has been amazing. I've been part of the team that's been working on this for the past few years. It's just really been fortunate. I always like to be able to talk to and work with Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams-Parker and the rest of her team. Even during the design process, they responded immediately to anything that we needed to make sure that we're telling the right story and being authentic.

It's been just super great to work with. But in addition to the CIAA, we're fortunate to have a good roster of HBCUs. Baltimore is in an area with a lot of HBCUs. We have Morgan State, Hampton University, and Howard University. It's been really great to be able to connect with all these student athletes, these future leaders, and utilize the platform that we have at Under Armour, in terms of trying to tell stories.

Allen: I just want them to rock it with pride. Everything that we create is about community, family, building, and reaching back. Anybody who picks up a hoodie or sweatpants, I hope they just wear it with pride, and we really appreciate the support.

Under Armour's CIAA basketball. — Under Armour celebrates the CIAA. | Under Armour