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In an anticipated move, the NCAA Division I Cabinet voted to approve jersey patch sponsorships in college sports. The legislation is due to take effect Aug. 1, the NCAA announced – just in time for the 2026 college football season.
Under the new legislation, schools will be able to place up to two additional commercial logos on uniforms and one additional logo on equipment during both the preseason and postseason. They can also add another logo on uniforms and apparel during conference championships.
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Patches are limited to a maximum of 4 square inches per logo, according to the NCAA. The legislation is in effect for non-NCAA championship competition.
“College sports are in an exciting new era of increased financial benefits for student-athletes, and the Cabinet’s vote today reflects the ongoing commitment of Division I members to drive additional revenues and fully fund those benefits,” said Josh Whitman, Illinois athletics director and D-I Cabinet chair, in a statement.
“This also continues the NCAA’s efforts to expand flexibility in areas of NCAA rules, thereby allowing schools and conferences to set standards that reflect their values and serve their unique needs. This important policy change is another step forward in advancing that philosophy and providing members with increased flexibility.”
The move will add another revenue stream for schools with millions of dollars in sponsorship dollars on the way. A vote was delayed even though NCAA president Charlie Bakertold reporters he expected one from the D1 Cabinet at the NCAA Convention on Jan. 14. Baker notably credited Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark for his role in the discussions.
Schools prepared for jersey patches
Division I commissioners discussed jersey patches in Fall 2025 during meetings in Chicago, and the expectation was legislation could be on the way. The D-I administrative committee – now known as the D-I Cabinet – also introduced a proposal in October 2025 to pave the way for patches on uniforms.
While awaiting a decision, some schools took proactive measures to prepare for approval. LSU notably inked a multi-million dollar jersey patch deal, and Clay Harris – the school’s deputy athletics director and chief revenue officer – told Front Office Sports it would include every sport.
Additionally, UNLV landed a partnership with Acessio Biologics to place patches on jerseys across football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball over the next five seasons. Learfield facilitated that agreement, which also includes an Accessio Biologics logo on the Rebels’ football field this coming season.
Jersey patches are the latest new revenue stream to make their way to college sports. On-field and on-court logos arrived the last two seasons ahead of House v. NCAA settlement approval. That came last summer, ushering the revenue-sharing era in college athletics.
Schools across college sports have cashed in with on-field sponsorship opportunities. Data from Zoomph shows 67% of Power 4 programs and 46% of Group of 5 teams have field sponsors. Based on a 10-game sample size using AI detection, the logos were shown 167 times per game and have a brand value of $94 per 1,000 unique users.
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