Program to Deliver Significant Value to all Performance Partners of Learfield Sports Properties
DALLAS – Learfield, the leading media and technology company powering college athletics, announced today its Performance Partner Alliance program to help deliver a jersey patch solution for its university partners and student-athletes. This program will provide the framework to deliver value to current performance or “sideline” partners of Learfield schools, enabling those schools to add a sponsorship logo to their game and practice jerseys, while continuing to feature their official apparel partner logo and conference logo on uniforms.
“Now more than ever, our school partners and student athletes need new and unique sources of revenue, and game jersey patches represent one of the most sizable opportunities in the entire industry,” said Cole Gahagan, President and CEO of Learfield. “We have tremendous appreciation for the deals in place with the industry’s performance partners, and we strongly believe that the fan-connectivity and story-telling marketing programs we’ll provide those performance partners will deliver significant value in the years ahead.”
Through this program, performance brands, including but not limited to Nike, adidas, and Under Armour, will have the unique opportunity to tap into Learfield’s fan connectivity platform and an array of marketing assets at participating schools by agreeing to allow sponsorship patches on game uniforms.
Learfield worked with recognized industry expert on valuation, Wasserman, to understand and measure the valuation and impact of jersey patch sponsorships for Learfield schools to create sponsorship packages for teams and their partners. Learfield will deliver corresponding marketing assets, including first-party fan data-driven digital campaigns, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) elements, original content, and fan engagement programs, to each participating school’s official performance partner to complement their uniform agreement.
“There is a clear path to delivering a solution for college athletics similar to the professional sports model that has provided annual jersey patch sponsorships north of seven figures per team,” said Gahagan. “We are excited to drive a comprehensive solution for all parties and power wide-scale adoption for college athletics.”
Once jersey patches have been unlocked, the expectation is that each school partner will determine the participating teams within the athletics department, and based on those determinations, Learfield Sports Properties will then assess the market and work to identify the best brand sponsor(s) that maximize the opportunity. Learfield anticipates that school partners will begin evaluating jersey patch sponsorship opportunities this spring and – with the hopes that the NCAA approves the use of game jersey patches in early 2025 – will plan to start incorporating corporate partners during the 2025-26 athletics season, beginning with football in the fall of 2025.
About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
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