Champion
An American sportswear brand known for collegiate apparel, sweatshirts, hoodies, athletic uniforms, and Reverse Weave fabric.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Champion is an American sportswear brand whose identity is closely associated with sweatshirts, hoodies, athletic uniforms, and the Reverse Weave construction. Its roots date to May 6, 1919, when Simon Feinbloom and his sons William and Abraham established Knickerbocker Knitting Mills. The business initially developed knitted garments and institutional sportswear, later serving schools, military academies, and athletic programs. In 1922, William and Abraham inherited the company and adopted the Champion Knitwear Mills name; the business was incorporated in 1924. Champion's early development was tied to institutional and team apparel. The company supplied sweaters for Wentworth Military Academy and entered into an agreement to produce uniforms for the University of Michigan. During the interwar period it developed practical garments for athletes, including an early hooded sideline garment that helped establish the sweatshirt hood as a functional sportswear feature. Champion products were subsequently adopted by the United States Military Academy and other military institutions for training and physical education. During the Second World War, the company supplied military and academy garments, including sweatshirts and T-shirts carrying unit-related insignia. The brand's most important technical development was Reverse Weave. In the 1930s, Champion salesman Samuel Friedland addressed the tendency of cotton sweatshirts to shrink during laundering by changing the direction of the fabric grain. The first related patent was granted in 1938. A second patent, granted in 1952 to Friedland and William Feinbloom, added side panels to help control widthwise shrinkage. The resulting construction became a defining Champion product characteristic and remains central to the brand's heritage collections. Reverse Weave garments are commonly presented as durable, heavyweight basics with a distinctive cut and construction rather than as short-lived fashion products. Champion also contributed to the development of performance and women's athletic apparel. It introduced nylon mesh football uniforms in 1967, helping popularize lighter and more breathable athletic jerseys across several sports. In 1968, it launched Lady Champion, a line designed specifically for female athletes and physical-education programs. Champion later became associated with the Jogbra sports-bra business, acting first as a distributor and later as a manufacturer; the Jogbra brand was sold to Champion Sportswear in 1994. The stylized C logo was introduced in 1956 and later became a visible sleeve emblem, particularly after the red-pip version gained exposure through collegiate teams. In the 1980s and 1990s, Champion expanded its cultural reach through professional and collegiate sports. It supplied uniforms for National Basketball Association teams, held the NBA's exclusive uniform license from the 1991–92 through 1996–97 seasons, and continued as the league's exclusive replica-jersey producer for a period after on-court licensing was divided among brands. It also supplied Olympic, National Football League, college, military, soccer, and basketball apparel. At the same time, its sweatshirts and jerseys became prominent in hip-hop, street-art, skateboarding, and wider youth culture. Sara Lee acquired Champion in 1989. The brand later broadened its international sports licensing and fashion collaborations. Its Reverse Weave and blank-garment formats were used in influential contemporary-fashion projects, including work associated with Virgil Abloh's Pyrex Vision and a later Champion collaboration with Off-White. A 2017 collaboration with Vetements further connected Champion's heritage sportswear to luxury and high-fashion audiences. Reverse Weave was included in the Museum of Modern Art's 2017 exhibition Items: Is Fashion Modern? and entered the museum's permanent collection in 2018. Hanesbrands announced an agreement to sell Champion to Authentic Brands Group in 2024, wit…
History
Champion began in Rochester, New York, in 1919 as Knickerbocker Knitting Mills, founded by Simon Feinbloom and his sons William and Abraham. The company changed its name to Champion Knitwear Mills after William and Abraham took control in 1922 and incorporated in 1924. Its early business focused on knitted garments and institutional sportswear. Relationships with Wentworth Military Academy, the University of Michigan, and United States military academies helped establish Champion as a supplier of uniforms, sweaters, and training clothing. During the 1920s and 1930s, Champion developed hooded sideline garments for athletes. These garments were practical outer layers intended to keep players warm between periods of activity and became an early form of the modern hoodie. The company also supplied military and academy apparel during the Second World War. Its most influential technical advance emerged in response to laundering shrinkage. Samuel Friedland developed a method that rotated the fabric grain and cut the garment across the grain. A patent was granted in 1938. A further patent in 1952 introduced side panels that addressed widthwise shrinkage. Champion marketed the combined construction as Reverse Weave, and it became one of the brand's principal heritage signatures. Champion expanded beyond basic knitwear in the postwar period. It introduced its stylized C logo in 1956, developed nylon mesh uniforms in 1967, and launched Lady Champion in 1968. The mesh innovation supplied lighter and more breathable athletic clothing for football and later other sports. Lady Champion recognized the growing need for sportswear designed around women's bodies and was adopted by educational and athletic institutions. Champion also became involved with the Jogbra, an early sports-bra brand created by Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller, and Polly Smith. Champion distributed and later manufactured the product, and acquired the Jogbra brand in 1994. The company became increasingly prominent in team sports during the late twentieth century. It produced apparel for professional football, collegiate programs, military academies, Olympic teams, and basketball organizations. It held the NBA's exclusive uniform license from 1991–92 through 1996–97 and later retained an exclusive replica-jersey license for a period after the league divided on-court rights among multiple manufacturers. Champion supplied the United States basketball team at the 1992 Summer Olympics and had a long relationship with Notre Dame before the university moved its exclusive apparel agreement to Adidas in 2001. Champion also produced soccer and basketball kits in Europe and other international markets. In parallel, Champion garments moved from institutional sportswear into popular culture. Hoodies, sweatshirts, and jerseys became common in hip-hop, skateboarding, street-art, and youth-fashion settings. The brand's association with heavyweight basics and visible collegiate styling later made it attractive to designers. Virgil Abloh used Champion blanks in his early Pyrex Vision work, and Champion subsequently formalized a relationship with Off-White. Vetements included Champion in its Spring/Summer 2017 collaboration program. The Museum of Modern Art recognized Reverse Weave as an important example of modern fashion and design by including it in a 2017 exhibition and adding it to the permanent collection in 2018. Sara Lee acquired Champion in 1989. Champion subsequently operated within a larger branded-apparel environment while maintaining a recognizable consumer identity. Hanesbrands later became the brand's corporate owner before announcing its sale to Authentic Brands Group in June 2024. The transaction was completed in 2024. Authentic's ownership approach emphasizes licensing and operating partners, and Champion's teamwear activities have been organized through partner arrangements. After the acquisition, Champion announced a renewed emphasis on professional sports licensing, retail partnerships, international markets, collaborations, and ambassador programs. Initiatives described in the available material include relationships with hockey, lacrosse, baseball, football, Target, athletes in gymnastics and combat sports, and fashion or streetwear partners. The brand also opened a flagship location in Milan, appointed a Greater China ambassador, and launched the Champions for Champion campaign. Its current identity therefore rests on the combination of technical sportswear heritage, Reverse Weave product continuity, licensed team apparel, accessible everyday clothing, and cultural collaborations.
- 2025
Champion broadens retail and sports partnerships
The brand announces initiatives involving Target, professional sports licensing, international retail, ambassadors, and the Champions for Champion campaign.
- 2024
Authentic Brands Group completes Champion acquisition
[1]Authentic Brands Group takes ownership of Champion after acquiring the brand from Hanesbrands.
- 2024
Acquired by Authentic Brands Group
[1]Authentic Brands Group acquires the Champion brand from HanesBrands.
- 2018
Reverse Weave enters MoMA's permanent collection
[1]The garment becomes part of the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection.
- 2017
Reverse Weave appears in a MoMA fashion exhibition
[1]The Reverse Weave hoodie is included in the Museum of Modern Art exhibition Items: Is Fashion Modern?
- 2001
Notre Dame moves to Adidas
[1]Notre Dame signs an exclusive five-year agreement with Adidas, ending a Champion partnership of more than five decades.
- 1992
Champion supplies Olympic basketball apparel
[1]Champion manufactures uniforms for the United States Olympic basketball team.
- 1991
Exclusive NBA uniform period begins
[1]Champion begins its exclusive NBA uniform-license period covering the 1991–92 through 1996–97 seasons.
- 1989
Sara Lee acquires Champion
[1]Champion becomes part of Sara Lee Corporation.
- 1989
Acquired by Sara Lee
[1]Sara Lee Corporation acquires Champion, ending the brand's period as an independent private company.
Products and positioning
Accessible-to-mid-market sportswear and athletic-lifestyle brand centered on durable American collegiate, professional, and streetwear heritage. Accessible athletic and lifestyle apparel combining collegiate heritage, functional construction, recognizable logo branding, and durable fleece basics.
Sweatshirts and hoodies · 1938
Reverse Weave sweatshirts and hoodies
Champion's signature product family uses the cross-grain construction associated with the brand's 1938 and 1952 patents. The design was developed to reduce shrinkage and is commonly made in substantial cotton or cotton-blend fabrics. Reverse Weave garments function both as everyday basics and as heritage products carrying Champion's strongest connection to American collegiate and athletic apparel. Champion's signature fleece platform uses heavyweight fabric arranged across the garment to limit lengthwise shrinkage. Later versions added side panels for mobility. The line is associated with substantial construction, collegiate graphics, ribbed finishing, and long-term wear, and it serves both athletic and lifestyle customers.
Teamwear
Champion athletic uniforms
Champion has produced uniforms and licensed apparel for military academies, colleges, professional leagues, Olympic teams, and national or club programs. Historical offerings included football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, and other sports. The teamwear business remains important to the brand's identity, although current production and licensing are organized through Authentic Brands and operating partners.
Performance sportswear · 1967
Nylon mesh uniforms
Introduced in 1967, Champion's nylon mesh uniforms were designed to be lighter and more breathable than heavier synthetic athletic garments. The material was initially associated with football and subsequently used in basketball, track, lacrosse, and other sports.
Women's athleticwear · 1968
Lady Champion
Lady Champion was introduced in 1968 as a women's athletic and physical-education apparel line. Its fitted cuts and women-specific styling addressed a market that had often been served by garments designed primarily for men. The line was adopted in school and collegiate settings.
Sports bras · 1977
Jogbra
Champion distributed and later manufactured the Jogbra, an early sports-bra product invented by Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller, and Polly Smith. Champion acquired the Jogbra brand in 1994. The product is notable for its role in the development of modern athletic support apparel.
Casual sportswear
Everyday Champion apparel
The broader consumer range includes T-shirts, sweatpants, shorts, jackets, underwear, leggings, socks, footwear, bags, hats, and related accessories. These products extend Champion from performance and team apparel into accessible casualwear built around its C logo and collegiate sportswear heritage.
Sportswear and casualwear · 1930
Hoodies and sweatshirts
Champion hoodies and crewneck sweatshirts extend the brand's early sideline-wear heritage into everyday clothing. The assortment typically includes pullover and zip-front designs, heavyweight fleece, seasonal colors, collegiate artwork, and the embroidered or printed C logo.
Athletic teamwear
Team uniforms and jerseys
Champion has produced uniforms, jerseys, and training garments for schools, military institutions, collegiate programs, and professional sports relationships. Product development has included lightweight and mesh constructions intended to improve ventilation and movement during competition.
Casualwear
Graphic T-shirts and casual apparel
The brand's casual assortment includes T-shirts, shorts, sweatpants, jackets, and underwear. Common design elements include the C logo, collegiate references, athletic typography, and heritage-inspired color blocking. These products help connect Champion's performance history with accessible daily wear.
Accessories and hosiery
Hosiery and accessories
Champion sells leggings, socks, bags, hats, and related accessories that extend its logo and athletic identity beyond core fleece. Availability varies by market and licensing partner.
Athletic and casual footwear
Footwear
The footwear range has included sneakers and sandals designed for casual, training, and lifestyle use. Footwear is part of the brand's broader apparel and accessories ecosystem and may be produced or distributed through regional partners.
Controversies
2021
Keds sues Hanes over Champion trademark
In 2021, Keds filed a lawsuit against Hanes in the United States. The dispute concerned the licensing of the Champion trademark. According to the source, Keds sued Hanes over the Champion trademark. The available information identifies the parties and the subject of the dispute as a trademark licensing matter but does not specify the claims, the relief sought, or the outcome of the case.
Marketing campaigns
- 2025Champions for Champion
Global
Champion launched a global campaign featuring athletes, entertainers, creators, and advocates including Aly Raisman, The Kid LAROI, Romeo Beckham, Gus Kenworthy, Rayna Vallandingham, Lia Kim, Juan Palau, and Jeffrey Randall Allen. A subsequent Spring/Summer 2026 iteration added Kyle Kuzma, Jaxson Dart, Caroline Marks, and Winnie Harlow while retaining selected ambassadors.
Outcome. Expanded the brand's global cultural and sports positioning.
Brand decisions
2025
Renewed professional-sports licensing strategyStrategyBackground
Following the Authentic Brands acquisition, Champion sought to rebuild visibility in officially licensed team apparel.
Action taken
The brand announced or pursued partnerships involving hockey, minor-league baseball, lacrosse, and NFL apparel, alongside expanded teamwear activity.
Aftermath
The strategy reinforced Champion's historical association with uniforms and licensed sports merchandise.
2025
Target retail partnershipStrategyBackground
Champion sought broader mass-market reach for apparel, accessories, and sporting goods.
Action taken
Champion and Target announced a collection of more than 500 products for adults and children, with planned distribution through Target stores and Target.com.
Aftermath
The partnership was intended to expand Champion's retail accessibility in the United States.
2024
Sale to Authentic Brands GroupM&ABackground
Hanesbrands announced a plan to divest Champion as part of its portfolio strategy. Champion was owned by HanesBrands before the transaction and remained an internationally recognized sportswear label.
Action taken
Authentic Brands Group acquired the Champion brand and assumed responsibility for its brand ownership and marketing model.
Aftermath
Champion moved toward a licensing and brand-partner model emphasizing sports partnerships, retail distribution, collaborations, and international growth. Champion became part of Authentic Brands Group's portfolio, with future operations expected to rely on brand management, licensing, and commercial partners.
1991
Exclusive NBA uniform licensingStrategyBackground
Professional basketball was becoming an important platform for sportswear visibility and replica merchandise.
Action taken
Champion held the NBA's exclusive uniform license from the 1991–92 through 1996–97 seasons and produced replica jerseys for the league.
Aftermath
The agreement substantially increased Champion's visibility in professional basketball and popular culture.
1989
Sale to Sara LeeM&ABackground
Champion was an established sportswear and team-apparel business with significant institutional and professional-sports relationships. Champion had developed from a family-founded knitwear business into an established athletic and collegiate apparel brand.
Action taken
Sara Lee Corporation acquired Champion and integrated it into a larger branded-apparel portfolio.
Aftermath
Champion operated within Sara Lee's broader branded-apparel portfolio. Champion continued operating as a brand within successive corporate ownership structures rather than as an independent public company.
1938
Patent and commercial development of Reverse WeaveProduct launchBackground
Cotton athletic sweatshirts were prone to shrinkage in laundering, creating a durability problem for institutional and consumer apparel.
Action taken
Champion patented a cross-grain construction that reduced lengthwise shrinkage and later developed the side-panel construction associated with the product.
Aftermath
Reverse Weave became Champion's defining technical and heritage platform.
Recent events
Champion MSU to begin rebranding student housing communities[3]
Champion MSU, a subsidiary of Champion, will begin a complete rebrand and gut renovation of the acquired student housing communities. The source describes this as a planned action, not a completed rebrand.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Keds sues Hanes over Champion trademark[2]
Keds sued Hanes in the United States in a dispute over licensing of the Champion trademark.
Reported
Mr. Cooper announces sale of reverse mortgage servicing portfolio[4]
Mr. Cooper announced the sale of its reverse mortgage servicing portfolio, including its Champion-branded business, to Mortgage Assets Management.
Reported
Champion ANZ announces partnership with Queer Sporting Alliance[5]
Champion ANZ announced a partnership with the Queer Sporting Alliance.
Reported
Champion ANZ launches first Pride range[5]
Champion ANZ launched its first Pride range.
Reported
Gatorade announces limited-edition apparel collaboration with Champion[6]
Gatorade announced a one-time, limited-edition apparel collection produced in partnership with Champion. The seven-piece collection was scheduled to be available for 48 hours beginning June 4.
Reported
HyperX and Champion announce limited-edition apparel collaboration[7]
HyperX announced a partnership with Champion Athleticwear to create a limited-edition capsule collection of T-shirts, hoodies and crewneck sweatshirts. The collection was announced as planned to be available online at Champion.com starting in November for a limited time.
Sources8 sources
- 1Champion (sportswear)en.wikipedia.org
- 2Keds sues Hanes over Champion trademarkworldipreview.com
- 3Champion MSU 将开始为学生住房社区重新打造品牌rejournals.com
- 4Mr. Cooper宣布出售反向抵押贷款服务业务组合nationalmortgagenews.com
- 5Champion澳新地区宣布与Queer Sporting Alliance建立合作关系mumbrella.com.au
- 6Gatorade 宣布与 Champion 推出限量服饰合作系列thesource.com
- 7HyperX与Champion宣布推出限量版服饰联名系列knittingindustry.com
- 8HyperX teams up with Champion for RGB reflecting clothinghexus.net
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