The Big 12’s expanded partnership with Monster Energy, announced Tuesday, was heralded as the first of its kind in college sports. But it has also drawn criticism from multiple industry sources who believed the deal may have both undervalued the conference and could create issues for school-specific assets in the future.
The deal, which has three main components, would rake in $20 million per year for schools, offering around $1 million per school, Front Office Sports confirmed.
First, all Big 12 football and men’s and women’s basketball teams and fields/courts will include the co-branded patches (considered the first conference-wide jersey patch deal since the NCAA began allowing such partnerships).
Second, the Big 12 football and men’s and women’s basketball regular seasons will be referred to as “Monster Energy Big 12 Football” and “Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball,” respectively.
Finally, the deal requires Monster to include Big 12 assets in its marketing in more than 100 countries where it advertises, offering intangible exposure for the league.
