01-23-2026, 06:46 PM
A vote Friday to allow advertisements on college sports uniforms opened a new revenue stream for athletic departments, as schools look to generate tens of millions of dollars to cover the rising costs of paying student athletes.
Starting Aug 1., a few square inches on uniforms across Division I college sports, from football and basketball to baseball and volleyball, will be fair game for ads. Schools including Louisiana State University and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas have already lined up potential deals, in some cases tapping local companies for eight-figure sponsorships.
The NCAA rule change, approved by the organization’s Division I cabinet, allows up to two jersey patches on player uniforms and practice jerseys, with a third permitted on equipment like shoes, skis and helmets. School-wide deals are expected to range from $500,000 to more than $12 million annually, said Cole Gahagan, president and chief executive officer of Learfield, a multimedia rights firm that works with hundreds of schools to broker commercial deals.
The University of Georgia, home to the 2023 national football champions, is waiting for the right deal, said Athletic Director Josh Brooks.
“We’re trying to stay two steps ahead as this process is unfolding,” Brooks said.
Late last year, the school signed a deal with hometown airline Delta Air Lines Inc. to add logos on the field for the last three games of the season. UGA’s campus in Athens sits about 70 miles east of Atlanta, home to other giants of US business including Home Depot Inc. and Coca-Cola.
“Everyone is searching for more revenue generation, and you’re not trying to put the entire burden on the fan base through ticket prices and donations,’’ Brooks said. “Whenever you have an opportunity like that, you have to pursue it, but you want it to make sense. You want to be respectful of what that Georgia uniform means.”
Starting Aug 1., a few square inches on uniforms across Division I college sports, from football and basketball to baseball and volleyball, will be fair game for ads. Schools including Louisiana State University and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas have already lined up potential deals, in some cases tapping local companies for eight-figure sponsorships.
The NCAA rule change, approved by the organization’s Division I cabinet, allows up to two jersey patches on player uniforms and practice jerseys, with a third permitted on equipment like shoes, skis and helmets. School-wide deals are expected to range from $500,000 to more than $12 million annually, said Cole Gahagan, president and chief executive officer of Learfield, a multimedia rights firm that works with hundreds of schools to broker commercial deals.
The University of Georgia, home to the 2023 national football champions, is waiting for the right deal, said Athletic Director Josh Brooks.
“We’re trying to stay two steps ahead as this process is unfolding,” Brooks said.
Late last year, the school signed a deal with hometown airline Delta Air Lines Inc. to add logos on the field for the last three games of the season. UGA’s campus in Athens sits about 70 miles east of Atlanta, home to other giants of US business including Home Depot Inc. and Coca-Cola.
“Everyone is searching for more revenue generation, and you’re not trying to put the entire burden on the fan base through ticket prices and donations,’’ Brooks said. “Whenever you have an opportunity like that, you have to pursue it, but you want it to make sense. You want to be respectful of what that Georgia uniform means.”
