For the first time in the company's 119-year history, New Balance is now the official outfitter of a "major" college football program.
The company and Boston College formally announced an expansion of their partnership on Monday. BC has worn New Balance gear in every sport but football since 2021; the Eagles football program has worn Adidas since 2021 after wearing Under Armour from 2010-20. Both the company and BC are private entities, so financial terms were not disclosed.
"Our players and staff are thrilled to represent two iconic brands - Boston College and New Balance," said Eagles head coach Bill O'Brien. "Being the only power conference college football program to align with a cutting-edge organization like New Balance is a great opportunity that sets us apart."
Monday's announcement did not include any sneak peeks of how BC will look in its NB era, though it's unlikely to change much. Boston College has worn gold helmets, maroon jerseys and gold pants for the vast majority of its history.
On the field, football is a game of inches. Before that, it’s a game of hours. Hours studying film, hours practicing, hours prepping. Nothing less than total dedication. It’s how Boston College has always played and it’s how New Balance has always made things. Together, we’re… pic.twitter.com/7MxM6jGATT
— New Balance (@newbalance) June 2, 2025
The move is an interesting one for New Balance, who has long been a major player in the running shoe market and has since made an aggressive push in basketball. Anyone who's taken even a glance at the ongoing NBA playoffs has likely seen this commercial a time or three.
That's 2-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, 2024 WNBA No. 2 pick Cameron Brink, presumptive NBA No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, and NBA All-Star Tyrese Maxey repping the company. The company also outfits 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff on the tennis court, 4-time Olympic gold medalist sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, along with a number of other athletes who I'm sure are a big deal in their respective sports.
In football, New Balance is just getting started. The company has signed Chase Young and Marvin Harrison, Jr., to rep the two football cleats it produces.
Interestingly, the company's own videos only showed its athletes in New Balance cleats and socks. I couldn't tell what brand of gloves Harrison wore in the above video, nor can I in this game day photo below.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
In outfitting a major college football program, New Balance will have to make far more than just cleats. How does a New Balance football jersey look, feel and perform on game day? What about gloves, pants, and sleeves? More importantly, is this Part 2 of a new offensive in New Balance's plan to attack Adidas and Under Armour as the No. 2 sports apparel brand in the US? Here's a major clue: the company is based in Boston, and the New Balance executive quoted in Monday's release happens to be a BC alum.
"As a Boston College alum, I am proud to see two iconic Boston institutions coming together to make the game better," said New Balance VP of Sport Ray Hilvert.
Clarifying note> Central Michigan, Maine and other college football programs have been blessed to wear some fine New Balance threads over the years. For whatever reason, New Balance chose to announce this partnership with Boston College as their first "major NCAA football sponsorship." Carry on.