Banks and Fintechs Race for College Jersey Ads

U.S. college athletics is opening a new advertising market as schools seek revenue to help fund athlete payments. The NCAA Division I Cabinet approved commercial uniform patches on Jan. 23, allowing teams from Aug. 1 to display as many as two logos, each capped at four square inches, during regular-season competition. The high-visibility inventory gives banks and fintech companies a route to students, alumni and younger fans through nationally televised sports.

JPMorganChase and Ohio State announced a partnership on July 28 that will place the Chase logo on uniforms across 36 varsity programs beginning in the 2026-27 season. Terms were not disclosed, but the agreement is reportedly worth about $17 million annually. SoFi unveiled a six-year Notre Dame deal the same day, reportedly valued at $18 million to $20 million a year, alongside a $1.4 million annual fund for scholarships, financial education and career development.