Ohio State signs $17M annual jersey patch deal with JPMorganChase
Ohio State signed a partnership with JPMorganChase worth nearly $17 million per year that includes jersey patches on all 36 varsity team uniforms. The deal also includes NIL opportunities for athletes and is believed to be one of the largest non-apparel corporate sponsorships in college sports.
Ohio State will receive nearly $17 million per year from JPMorganChase under a partnership that places the company's branding on uniforms across all 36 of the university's varsity teams, according to ESPN's reporting. The deal also includes NIL (name, image, likeness) opportunities for individual athletes.
The agreement represents one of the largest non-apparel corporate sponsorships in college sports and exceeds the value of many NBA jersey patch contracts, per ESPN. Division I leadership approved uniform patches as a revenue mechanism in January, allowing teams to place up to two patches of no more than 4 square inches on uniforms during regular-season games.
Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said in a statement: "JPMorganChase is a global brand with deep roots in Ohio, making them a natural partner that shares our commitment to innovation, excellence and long-term community impact."
The partnership signals how college athletic departments are monetizing uniform real estate as a new funding stream. The College Football Playoff has been exploring how to permit patches for postseason competition, per ESPN's reporting.
Key details remain unaddressed in public statements: the specific structure of how the $17 million flows between the athletic department and individual athlete NIL deals, the full term length of the agreement, and detailed comparisons to named NBA patch contracts.
Ohio State will receive nearly $17 million annually from JPMorganChase for jersey patches across all 36 varsity teams, including embedded NIL opportunities for athletes.
Watch whether other major corporations pursue similar collegiate patch deals and at what price points, and whether the College Football Playoff's patch approval extends this model into postseason play. The precedent matters most if peer institutions can replicate or exceed these terms; if Ohio State's deal remains an outlier, it signals market imbalance rather than a new standard.
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