Under Armour joins U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, tracks cotton in Freedom tees

Under Armour is turning one of apparel’s most ordinary materials into a harder fact to ignore. The brand joined the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol on April 21 and will pilot Trust Protocol-tracked cotton in all graphic tees from its Freedom collection this fall, putting product-level data behind a sustainability claim consumers usually hear only in broad strokes.

That matters because the Trust Protocol does more than promise better cotton in theory. It provides verified, field-level data on water use, greenhouse-gas emissions, soil health and land use, the kind of information brands increasingly need when shoppers and retailers want proof instead of polish. For Under Armour, the pilot starts in a line with a clear identity, the Freedom collection, which is dedicated to military personnel, veterans and first responders.

Aaron Driggers, Under Armour’s director of sustainability, framed the move as a materials decision, not a marketing flourish. The company says the membership reflects its commitment to supporting U.S. cotton farmers and strengthening supply-chain transparency, a sharper message than the vague, feel-good language that has long surrounded cotton sourcing in sportswear.

The Trust Protocol is a voluntary, field-level sustainability and traceability program for U.S. cotton, and its own numbers show why brands are lining up. In its 2024/25 annual report, the organization said more than 1,500 grower members had made measurable progress across all six of its sustainability metrics against a 2015 baseline, and that it met or exceeded five of its six 2025 national goals. Marjory Walker and Liz Hershfield were named co-directors on January 27 to accelerate adoption across the cotton value chain.

Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, welcomed Under Armour into the program in Memphis, Tennessee, calling the brand a fit for the Trust Protocol’s data-driven model and its performance culture. That alignment is the point: if cotton is one of the most visible raw materials in apparel, then traceability has to show up where shoppers can actually see it, on the garment tag and in the story a product tells about how it was made.

Under Armour’s sustainability page says the company aims to reduce harmful environmental impacts and increase the use of recycled or recyclable materials. The Freedom tee pilot suggests the next test will be whether that ambition can move from broad commitment to trackable, product-by-product accountability.