The company was established in 1919 by the Feinbloom Brothers as "Knickerbocker Knitting Company." The company soon signed an agreement with the
Michigan Wolverines to produce uniforms for their teams. In the 1930s the company was renamed "Champion Knitting Mills Inc.", producing
sweatshirts and
hoodies. Soon after, Champion products were adopted by the
US Military Academy to be used during training exercises and physical education classes. Champion was acquired by
Sara Lee Corporation in 1989. Champion produced uniforms for all the
NBA teams during the 1990s and some
NFL teams during the 1970s to the 1990s, for both on-field and retail purposes. It has also produced sportswear for many major colleges. Champion was also the uniform manufacturer of the
Olympic basketball team that competed at the
1992 Summer Olympics. also
Pallacanestro Cantù, in Italy. Champion supplied the football uniforms for the
Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In 2001,
Notre Dame signed an exclusive five-year agreement with
Adidas, which ended the partnership that Champion had with the university for over fifty years. In June 2024,
Hanesbrands announced plans to sell the Champion brand to
Authentic Brands for $1.2 billion. On October 1, it was announced that the transaction had been completed. Champion's CHAMPION TEAMWEAR is now owned by Unrivaled Teamwear, which is a brand partner for the champion's team apparel similar to how Under Armour's licensed apparel is handled. The parent company of Unrivaled Teamwear is Authentic who owns Champion. == Sponsorships ==