With Nike switch, South Carolina has a plan for leftover Under Armour gear
Have you ever wanted to own the garnet jersey that Jadeveon Clowney might have worn as he was chasing down Tajh Boyd like a lion who spotted a wounded gazelle? Or get your hands on a pair of shoes A’ja Wilson maybe thought about lacing up? Or decorate your man cave with a helmet that maybe saw action in an SEC game?
You’re in luck!
As part of South Carolina’s apparel transition to Nike — which officially goes into effect on Wednesday — the Gamecocks had to rid their equipment rooms of all things Under Armour as “thousands of boxes show up from Nike,” USC athletic director Jeremiah Donati told The State.
Which, of course, leads us to the big question: What are the Gamecocks doing with all of that old Under Armour gear they can no longer use?
Well, South Carolina — as a public, state institution — is giving all excess Under Armour gear to the South Carolina State Surplus to sell. This is common in the Palmetto State. Walking through the State Surplus’ huge property warehouse near the Columbia airport this week, there were Gamecocks-branded dumbbells and old uniforms seemingly worn by The Citadel’s women’s soccer team.
And still, the store still might need to clear some room for all the Under Armour gear South Carolina is offloading.
As of Monday afternoon, a spokeswoman for the State Surplus said it had picked up “approximately 25 pallets of (USC) Under Armour gear” — which adds up to hundreds of boxes — adding that “this is an ongoing effort, and additional items remain to be collected.”
“It’s a ton of stuff,” Donati said. “You have the old jersey sets. You have a tremendous amount of old apparel that went unused. I mean, you kind of always have to over-order for every year because you can’t run the risk of the players or coaches not having the appropriate stuff. ... Over time, that accumulates.”
And now, 19 years of accumulation will be purchasable. It’s unclear whether the surplus will hold a fire sale for the thousands of Under Armour items or just slightly mark down the purchase price. Pricing, the Surplus spokeswoman said, would be determined when items are reviewed in preparation for being sold.
Regardless, the gear will be discounted.
The State Surplus spokeswoman said the store didn’t yet have an official date for when the Under Armour gear would be on the warehouse floor, but she noted that the items “are expected to be available for sale in mid-August.”
The SC State Surplus Property Warehouse is located at 1441 Boston Ave. in West Columbia and is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Donati noted that before South Carolina began packing up its Under Armour apparel for good, the Gamecocks allowed their current players to keep some of their jerseys. But beyond that, anything with the “UA” mark remaining in South Carolina’s equipment rooms was heading to the State Surplus.
So a month after fans flood local stores to snag Swoosh-branded Gamecock apparel, the Under Amour relics — cheaper, and potentially far more sentimental — will be available for purchase a short drive across the city.
What exactly the State Surplus picked up or puts out on the warehouse floor is unknown, but it is reasonable to assume — given the budget and roster size — that a large quantity of recent football-related items will be for sale.
Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess as to what shows up: Hundreds of shoes, athlete backpacks, equestrian team hoodies, who knows?
Regardless, there may be some wallets hurting come September.
This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 7:00 AM with the headline "With Nike switch, South Carolina has a plan for leftover Under Armour gear."
