[CLSTR]
< Back to situations

Monitor this situation.

[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [SPORTS]

2 clusters · 2 sources · 23 days · First seen · Last updated

US collegiate athletics jersey-patch sponsorship trends

Overview

Major collegiate athletic programs are securing record-breaking jersey-patch sponsorship agreements following NCAA rule changes and antitrust settlements.

In July 2026, Ohio State University announced a partnership with JPMorgan Chase valued at approximately $17 million annually for all 36 varsity teams. Simultaneously, the University of Notre Dame entered a six-year agreement with SoFi Technologies, with an estimated annual value of $18 million to $20 million. The Notre Dame deal includes the placement of SoFi logos on all 26 varsity sports uniforms and provides funding for a $1.4 million annual scholarship and financial-education program.

These developments are enabled by a January 2026 NCAA Division I Council rule change allowing up to two corporate logo patches on regular-season uniforms. The shift toward professional-style commercialization follows a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that permitted schools to directly compensate athletes through licensing deals.

Entities

Anthony Noto · Pete Bevacqua · Ohio State University Athletics · SoFi · Notre Dame

Timeline

  1. 23 days ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Notre Dame signs major jersey patch deal with SoFi

    Notre Dame has signed a six-year jersey patch deal with SoFi, expected to generate between $18 million and $20 million annually for its athletic programs.

  2. about 2 months ago

    [SPORTS] 19 sources
    Ohio State and Notre Dame sign record jersey‑patch sponsorships

    On July 28 2026 Ohio State and Notre Dame announced record jersey‑patch deals—Ohio State with JPMorgan Chase for ~ $17 M/yr and Notre Dame with SoFi for $18‑20 M/yr—under a new NCAA uniform‑branding rule.

Sources

bleacherreport.com · theathletic.com