After a brief stint with Under Armour, St. John’s has formally made its anticipated return to Nike under the guidance of athletic director Mike Cragg. The program confirmed Monday its new partnership with Nike will begin with the 2019-2020 academic year.

“We are excited to realign St. John’s Athletics with an iconic brand and pioneer in sports performance,” Cragg said in a press release. “Providing premier resources to our student-athletes is a central focus of our department and we believe fostering this partnership with Nike demonstrates our commitment to competing at the highest level for our respective sports.”

St. John’s return to the Swoosh company, which has long been the worldwide leader in basketball footwear and apparel, was long-rumored upon the hiring of Cragg, whom arrived to Queens last fall after over 30 years in the Duke athletic department where he fostered strong relationships at Nike as the Blue Devils lead contact.

In 2013, Under Armour snatched the Red Storm away from Nike with a six-year deal that provided a package comparable to the top athletic programs that did not have an FBS football program. While UA has spent years trying to unseat Nike as the top brand on the market, it hasn’t been able to make significant progress in closing the gap between the outfitters.

Nike has placed at least 40 teams in the 68-team NCAA Tournament over the past years, steadily maintaining its stranglehold on the college basketball scene over Under Armour and Adidas, among other companies. The Big East will now have 10 of 11 teams sponsored by Nike, with UA still having Seton Hall under contract.

The move to Nike won’t necessarily provide a boost in recruiting for St. John’s, as apparel deals are low on the list of priorities for top recruits, however, it should put the Red Storm on level footing as most top school its recruiting against. The Nike EYBL has long been home of the best high school players and top competition in the grassroots scene.