In 2026, the NCAA approved a groundbreaking proposal allowing Division I sports programs to sell advertising space on uniforms, equipment, and apparel for non-championship contests. This decision has rapidly accelerated jersey patch deals across college sports, with partnerships now emerging at impressive speeds. Notre Dame secured the largest deal, a $20 million per year agreement with SoFi valued at $18 to $20 million annually, covering all Fighting Irish sports with additional benefits like annual funds for student-athlete support. Meanwhile, many deals typically fall in the low single-digit millions and often involve regional companies or preexisting sponsor relationships.

Among the most notable deals in the Big Ten, Ohio State partnered with JPMorgan Chase in a $17 million per year deal spanning all 36 men’s and women’s programs. Michigan State signed a 10-year agreement worth roughly $40 million total with MSU Federal Credit Union, reflecting the longest duration deal to date. Illinois teamed up with Busey Bank on a five-year, $30 million deal covering multiple sports including football and basketball. Wisconsin’s deal with Culver’s includes jersey patches on football, basketball, and hockey uniforms, with an emphasis on NIL opportunities and fan engagement, although its financial terms were undisclosed.

In the SEC and other conferences, Arkansas inked a multi-year deal with Tyson Foods for jersey patching on all varsity teams and named Tyson as its official protein partner. LSU forged a multi-million-dollar partnership with Woodside Energy that covers all athletic programs, making it the first major deal finalized after NCAA approval. The ACC’s University of California secured a significant partnership with Dialpad, an AI platform, branding it as the largest corporate partnership in Cal Athletics’ history. Similarly, Big 12 schools have announced multiple deals such as BYU’s football-only partnership with Entrata and Oklahoma State’s three-year jersey patch agreement with the Osage Nation.

One of the league-wide deals includes the Big 12’s landmark contract with Monster Energy, which pays $20 million annually for logo placement across football and basketball uniforms at all conference schools, along with naming rights to regular seasons and basketball courts. Critics argue this price undervalues the asset compared to individual school deals like Ohio State and Notre Dame, underscoring evolving valuation complexities and the growing commercial impact of jersey patch sponsorships in collegiate athletics.