A sign of the times — jersey sponsorships at the collegiate level — is coming to college sports this fall, thanks to a recent NCAA decision.
The University of Arkansas set what could end up being a benchmark in that field Wednesday, as it announced a partnership with Tyson Foods that will impact not only every student-athlete at the school but aims to put money back into the players’ hands.
Beginning with the 2026-27 athletic season, a Tyson Foods logo will be sewn onto the front of jerseys for athletes on all 19 men’s and women’s varsity sports that Arkansas fields.
It’s a five-year agreement, CBS Sports reported, and roughly 90% of the money generated is expected to go directly toward name, image and likeness opportunities with the company for Arkansas athletes.
The Arkansas football team will wear the patches when the Razorbacks play at Utah on Sept. 12 this year.
“This historic sponsorship is transformative for Razorback Athletics,” University of Arkansas vice chancellor and director of athletics Hunter Yurachek said in a statement. “For decades, Tyson Foods has been more than a corporate partner — they are an integral part of the Arkansas story.
“Having Tyson Foods incorporated across our varsity teams and venues sends a powerful message about the caliber of our programs and the type of talent we can bring to the university. We are grateful for our continued partnership and thrilled to showcase this collaboration to the nation every time our teams compete.”
Financial details were not disclosed, though Tyson Foods chairman John Tyson told CBS Sports that speculation of a nine-figure deal is inaccurate.
“It’s not $100 million, let’s put it that way,” he told the outlet.
“The game’s changing so quickly,” Tyson added. “NIL sponsorships, funding for universities — the model is moving really, really quickly."
Tyson Foods will be woven into the brand assets of the University of Arkansas in other ways as well as part of the deal, per the SEC school.
It will serve as the official protein of Arkansas athletics, and the Tyson Foods logo will be placed on fields and courts at school sports venues, as well as media backdrops for press conferences and on broadcast facilities. There will also be brand ambassador programs with the company for student-athletes.
How have schools already capitalized on jersey patch opportunities?
This comes less than two months after the NCAA Division I Cabinet approved a proposal to allow athletic programs at the Division I level to place additional commercial logos or patches on uniforms, equipment and apparel, as the Deseret News previously reported.
As a part of the ruling, schools are permitted to place up to two patches of no more than four square inches on uniforms for regular-season games.
The rule is scheduled to take effect Aug. 1.
“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,” Josh Whitman, Illinois athletic director and cabinet chair, said in a statement.
Other schools have already struck deals to capitalize on the effort to help fund athlete revenue-sharing.
In February, another SEC program, LSU, announced it had partnered with Woodside Energy on a multi-year agreement to place the company logo on jerseys for all 21 varsity sports the Tigers sponsor and the logo “will be uniquely designed to match the traditional purple and gold color scheme of Louisiana State University.”
UNLV was proactive and struck a deal with Acesso Biologics in December on a five-year, $11 million agreement before the NCAA officially approved the jersey patch rule, according to The Athletic. As part of that deal, the Rebels’ football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball teams will wear patches on their jerseys next season.
This comes in the wake of the first year of schools being permitted to share up to $20.5 million in revenue with athletes. That rule went into effect with the 2025-26 academic season, and it is separate from NIL opportunities for athletes.
How lucrative could jersey patch deals be for colleges?
Learfield CEO Cole Gahagan told CBS Sports that, per early valuations, jersey patch agreements could net anywhere from roughly $500,000 to over $12 million annually, depending on the school and market size.
Gahagan also explained that oftentimes jersey patch partnerships at the pro level come from companies located within 250 miles of the team.
That is the case with the Arkansas and Tyson Foods deal.
Tyson Foods headquarters are located in Springdale, Arkansas, within 20 miles of the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Already, the company’s logo has been used on backdrops for school press conferences in the past, including for men’s basketball and when Arkansas announced its new head football coach, Ryan Siverfield, in December.