In January, the NCAA approved a proposal allowing Division I sports programs to sell ad space on uniforms, equipment, and apparel for any non-championship competitions. As college football kickoff nears, partnerships are forming at an increasingly rapid clip.
Notre Dame’s just-announced $20 million per year partnership with SoFi is the largest deal to date, though a majority are valued in the low single-million range.
Across deals, a few key trends have emerged:
Most patch partners have regional or personal ties to schools, or pre-existing partner relationships.
Patch sponsorships encompassing all available sports (versus individual ones) are the most popular format—for now.
