Patchwork on the Field: The NCAA’s Move Towards Jersey Sponsorship and Its Legal Implications

[1]

Collegiate athletics have experienced some of its most transformative years following the introduction of House.[2] As teams, players, and conferences learn to navigate this new landscape, revenue remains a critical factor. Unsurprisingly, in the wake of the Name, Image, and Likeness (“NIL”)-driven market, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (“NCAA”) Division I (“D1”) Administrative Committee has proposed new legislation that would allow for corporate-sponsored logos across college sports.[3] Legislation of this nature mirrors the foundational shifts occurring throughout college sports, as the powerhouse of capitalism and commercialization rapidly replaces the storied amateurism model that defined the NCAA for over a century.[4]

Tried and True Formula: The Professional Model

From infamous sneaker deals and cereal boxes to slogans and billion-dollar Super Bowl commercials, sponsorships and branding represent an indivisible aspect of sports.[5] However, modern organizations have increasingly discovered and exploited the lucrative market for jersey branding.[6] A relatively newer concept in American professional sports, jersey sponsorships have been implemented across international professional soccer since the mid-20^th century.[7]

Breaking the mold in 2007, Major League Soccer was the first American professional sports league to allow organizations to have sponsors on their jerseys.[8] The National Basketball Association (“NBA”), National Hockey League (“NHL”), and Major League Baseball (“MLB”) all eventually followed suit, ten (10), thirteen (13), and seventeen (17) years later, respectively. [9] Within five years, the NBA’s sponsorship program was worth nearly $250,000,000.[10] In the 2022-2023 season alone, the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs’ sweater patch sponsorship generated a net media value of $11,000,000.00 for the club.[11] As the NCAA increasingly parallels the professional market, it is uncertain whether the proven financial benefits of corporate logos will be replicated under the collegiate model. 

NCAA Moves to Modernize Uniform Branding:

During the 2025 fall season, the NCAA Division I Administrative Committee proposed an amendment to current regulations that would allow schools to include two additional commercial logos on their uniforms, as well as pre-and post-game apparel during the course of non-NCAA championship events.[12] Additionally, one subsequent commercial logo will be allowed to be displayed on any piece of equipment used by athletes in their respective positions.[13] Currently, the manufacturer of the athlete’s apparel or equipment is the only commercial logo permitted to be displayed by the NCAA.[14] Unless you’re a household name like Nike or Adidas, sponsors lack this in-game commercial opportunity; however, the NCAA's proposed legislation now opens the door for more brands to leave their mark on college athletics.

When asked about the intention behind the NCAA’s proposal, the Chair of the Committee, and Athletic Director at the University of Illinois, Josh Whitman stated:

"The committee's introduction of this proposal demonstrates the continued efforts by the NCAA to modernize rules where appropriate within [DI]."

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"As we move into a new era of [DI] athletics, in which student-athletes can receive unprecedented financial benefits and support from their schools, it is appropriate for NCAA members to identify and consider additional opportunities for schools to generate additional revenue to fully support those benefits.”[15]

Once the Administrative Committee put forth the proposal, it was distributed amongst the relevant Sports Oversight Committees, who were tasked with reviewing the new regulations and providing sport-specific recommendations.[16] Additionally, the Administrative Committee directed the playing rules committees to provide sport-specific recommendations during their review, based on national standards, regarding ideal logo placement on athletes’ jerseys and on playing surfaces.[17] While in its infancy, a finalized proposal is set to be voted upon in January of next year, and if adopted, the new regulations will go into effect as early as August 1,  2026.[18]

Exclusivity Agreements Threaten Uniform Plan  

Regardless of the NCAA’s decision, exclusivity provisions within many schools’ existing contracts with apparel partners may prevent acceptance.[19] Currently, global apparel companies like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor supply university athletics with their uniforms and, per their agreements, do not allow for the inclusion of additional corporate logos.[20] Cole Gahagan, President and CEO of LEARFIELD, the largest multimedia rights holder in college athletics, has remained very outspoken about his expectation that these provisions will not prevent the Administrative Committee’s proposal from being accepted.[21] In December 2024, Gahagan’s company announced a marketing program aimed at providing major apparel companies with additional financial opportunities in exchange for allowing corporate sponsors to be included on uniforms.[22]     

Akin to the benefits of NIL deals for individual athletes, this latest proposal seeks to expand the institutional branding of both universities and sponsors in this new market. While the transition may not be seamless, if implemented, the Administrative Committee’s proposals will be just one more step in rebranding the fundamental look, revenue structure, and operation of college athletics.

Christopher Costa (deputy editor-in-chief) is a 2L from Suffern, New York. He graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Industrial and Labor Relations. At Villanova Chris is a member of the Sports Law Concentration, on the Baseball Arbitration Team, and Co-Philanthropy Chair of the Villanova Sports Law Society. Chris is a lifelong Giants and Yankee fan as well as a die-hard McLaren F1 fan. Following graduation he hopes to work as either an in house counsel within the NFL, MLB, or any motorsport series.

References

[1] Bibesh Manandhar, A Pair of Blue and Red Striped Shirts With White Text, Unsplash (Sept. 2, 2022), https://unsplash.com/photos/a-pair-of-blue-and-red-striped-shirts-with-white-text-e-OfH1yh_hs.  

[2] See, Dan Murphy, Judge OK’s $2.8B Settlement, Paving Way for Colleges to Pay Athletes, ESPN (June 6, 2025), https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/45467505/judge-grants-final-approval-house-v-ncaa-settlement. (Describing the most transformative cases in recent college athletics)

[3] See, Associated Press, NCAA Panel Proposes Rule Change to OK Sponsor Logos on College Uniforms, ESPN (Oct. 8, 2025), https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/46538234/ncaa-panel-proposes-rule-change-allow-sponsor-logos-college-uniforms. (Reporting on Division I Administrative Committee’s introduction of the new legislation to allow sponsored logos)

[4] See, Dan Wetzel, No More Charades: College Amateurism is Officially Dead, and Good Riddance, ESPN (April 12, 2025), https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/44633521/amateurism-ever-existed-college-sports-officially-dead. (NCAA structure changing away from the amateurism model)

[5] See, Mason Deel, Billboards You Pay to See: Examining the Effectiveness of Sports Jersey Sponsorship, Martin Hall Agency (May 23, 2024), https://martinhallagency.com/2024/05/23/billboards-you-pay-to-see-examining-the-effectiveness-of-sports-jersey-sponsorship/. (Sponsorship deals and sports have always been interconnected)

[6] Id. (The financial value of sponsorships being allowed on jerseys).

[7] Id. (Reporting on the history of sponsorships on sport jerseys across international soccer)

[8] Id. (Reporting on the first major sports league to adopt logo sponsorships on uniforms)

[9] Id. (Reporting on when additional major sports leagues in America allowed sponsorships on their uniforms)

[10] Id. (Reporting on the financial profit the NBA earned from its sponsorship program)

[11] Id. (Reporting on the financial profit MLB teams have earned through the inclusion of a sponsorship patch program)

[12] See, Associated Press, NCAA Panel Proposes Rule Change to OK Sponsor Logos on College Uniforms, ESPN (Oct. 8, 2025), https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/46538234/ncaa-panel-proposes-rule-change-allow-sponsor-logos-college-uniforms. (Describing the parameters of the proposed rule change)

[13] Id. (Further reporting on the parameters and rules of how many logos universities will be allowed to display on equipment)

[14] Id. (Current rules and regulations regarding sponsored logos on college uniforms)

[15] Id. (Quote from Chairman of the Division I Administrative Committee)

[16] See, Meghan Durham Wright, DI Administrative Committee Introduces Proposal for Commercial Logos on Uniforms, Apparel and Equipment, NCAA (Oct. 8, 2025), https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/10/8/media-center-di-administrative-committee-introduces-proposal-for-commercial-logos-on-uniforms-apparel-and-equipment.aspx. (Reporting on who will be tasked with reviewing the Committee’s proposal)

[17] Id. (Reporting on additional tasks the review committees are responsible for when reviewing the proposal)

[18] See, Associated Press, NCAA Panel Proposes Rule Change to OK Sponsor Logos on College Uniforms, ESPN (Oct. 8, 2025), https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/46538234/ncaa-panel-proposes-rule-change-allow-sponsor-logos-college-uniforms. (Timeline of the new proposal’s implementation)

[19] See, Eric Olson, Sponsor Patches on College Uniforms Would Raise Millions but Some Ads Are in Wait-and-See Mode, Associated Press (Sept. 23. 2025), https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-jersey-patches-3c418b367b6d9cddd02b009d3c3b44ca. (Describing the inclusion of exclusivity provisions contracts between universities and apparel companies)

[20] Id. (Describing some of the current apparel companies that have exclusivity provisions with universities)

[21] Id. (Owner of the largest multimedia company in college athletics describing his expectation regarding the acceptance of the Committee’s new rules)

[22] Id. (Discussing programs put forth by multimedia rights holders and stakeholders to mitigate any reservations current apparel companies may have with the new proposal)