Notre Dame has officially joined the jersey-patch sponsorship trend sweeping college athletics.
On Tuesday, the university announced a historic partnership with SoFi for a six-year deal worth an average of $18-20 million annually, per Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.
It will be the first non-apparel logo on a Notre Dame jersey.
“Our ‘4 for Forever’ promise at Notre Dame is paramount to providing the best student-athlete experience in the country,” said Pete Bevacqua, University of Notre Dame Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics. “SoFi shares in this commitment to developing strong, ambitious leaders who are set up for success at Notre Dame and beyond. Together, our relationship will create lasting value for our student-athletes and their families for generations to come.”
The announcement came just hours after Ohio State unveiled its own agreement with JPMorgan Chase, a deal worth $17 million annually across the Buckeyes' 36 varsity sports.
Notre Dame now joins a growing list of major programs embracing the new revenue stream, including LSU (Woodside Energy), Vanderbilt (SRM Concrete) and Wisconsin (Culver's and UW Health).
“Notre Dame has spent generations developing champions in the classroom and on the field,” said Anthony Noto, CEO of SoFi. “The grit, discipline and determination of Notre Dame’s student-athletes reflect the same ambition we see in our members every day. We are proud to partner with Notre Dame Athletics to help inspire the next generation and create opportunities that will shape their financial futures.”
The Big 12 Conference has also entered the sponsorship space with Monster Energy serving as an official partner for football and men's and women's basketball.
As part of the shared commitment to help student-athletes build strong futures, the partnership introduces the SoFi Champions Scholarship.
“A comprehensive scholarship program dedicated to walk-on student-athletes, annually recognizing one men’s and one women’s student-athlete who exemplify ambition, resilience, leadership and service. Each recipient will receive a one-year full tuition scholarship.”
Per a source, the Fighting Irish will now feature a corporate logo on their uniforms, one long-standing tradition remains unchanged. Notre Dame Stadium will remain free of in-stadium corporate advertising.
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