AUBURN — Auburn athletics director John Cohen has no plans to rush his decision regarding the future of AU's apparel provider.

The university has been in a partnership with Under Armour since 2006 and signed an extension in 2015, but AU entered an exclusive negotiating period Sept. 1 that allows it to have communication with other potential brands.

Auburn's contract with Under Armour is set to run through June 2025.

“All I can say is we’ve had a great relationship with Under Armour that goes back a long time," Cohen told the Montgomery Advertiser last week. "In the last 11 months, I’ve learned a great deal about that relationship. Under Armour has been so good to Auburn in so many different ways. Having said that, every option is on the table for us at this point in time and we’re going to explore every option.”

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Asked if it's fair to characterize the decision as "no big rush," Cohen further explained his thoughts.

“I would say it’s something that’s on our mind and something that we spend a great deal of time on at this point in time," Cohen said. "But we’re not in a sprint right now.”

Some believe Auburn's partnership with Under Armour has hindered AU's ability to best recruit, as some players would rather play for a school represented by Nike or another more prominent brand. Still, however, basketball coach Bruce Pearl has been able to have some major recruiting wins over the years and football coach Hugh Freeze has two five stars committed in the Class of 2024.

"Obviously, our fans, as in most cases, have an opinion," Cohen said in May. "So, we're doing a lot of research. ... We'll do our due diligence, and we'll be ready to have conversations about the future of Auburn and our apparel partner. And I have had some discussions with Under Armour. They've been terrific.

"We'll see where it takes us in the future."

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Will Auburn football remain with Under Armour or switch brands?