Under Armour: The Making of an Empire | Kevin Plank's Story
Discover how Kevin Plank founded Under Armour. Learn how a University of Maryland football player's search for a moisture-wicking shirt built a sports apparel empire.
Best quote from Under Armour: The Making of an Empire | Kevin Plank's Story
You don't need a huge budget or a fancy office to start solving a problem. If you see a gap or something that isn't working, you have the power to try and fix it yourself.
This audio lesson was created by a BeFreed community member
The making of the under armour brand
Frequently Asked Questions
The story of Under Armour began in 1995 while Kevin Plank was a senior running back at the University of Maryland. Frustrated by heavy, sweat-soaked cotton t-shirts that chafed and added weight during the August heat, Plank became obsessed with finding a better solution. He wanted to create a featherweight, moisture-wicking shirt that stayed light and dry, similar to the compression shorts he wore under his football pants.
Kevin Plank aimed to solve the problem of traditional cotton shirts becoming heavy, wet sponges during intense athletic activity. In the mid-nineties, athletes dealt with shirts that bunched under pads and caused chafing, which was even linked to heat exhaustion among his teammates. Plank sought to develop athletic performance gear that offered a skintight fit while effectively wicking moisture away from the skin to improve comfort and speed.
The University of Maryland serves as the birthplace of the Under Armour empire. It was during his time as a college football player there that Kevin Plank identified a gap in the sports apparel market. After noticing that no sporting goods stores or catalogs offered the specific type of performance gear he needed, he used his experience on the field to spark the innovation that would eventually lead to a global brand.
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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