Ohio State announces jersey patch partnership with JPMorganChase. Credit: Ohio State Athletics
Nike makes the uniform. The Big Ten marks the conference. Now, every Ohio State jersey will also be embellished with its first corporate sponsor logo.
JPMorganChase will become the jersey patch sponsor for all 36 Buckeye athletic teams, putting the Chase logo alongside other established marks on uniforms, beginning this season, Ohio State announced Tuesday.
The wide-ranging agreement also makes Chase the official bank of Ohio State athletics and will provide new name, image and likeness opportunities for Buckeye athletes.
The deal represents one of the most visible examples yet of college athletics’ growing commercial footprint. It follows a January decision allowing Division I programs to add two commercial logos to uniforms and apparel beginning Aug. 1.
Ohio State becomes the third Big Ten school to add a jersey patch sponsor, joining Michigan State with MSU Federal Credit Union and Wisconsin with UW Health and Culver’s.?
“JPMorganChase is a global brand with deep roots in Ohio, making them a natural partner that shares our commitment to innovation, excellence and long-term community impact,” Ohio State’s athletic director Ross Bjork stated in a press release. “Together, we have built a comprehensive and historic partnership that reflects the strong commercial strength of the Ohio State athletics identity and the broader college athletics landscape.”
Bjork said the agreement will provide additional resources for Ohio State’s athletic programs while preserving the department’s identity and traditions.
“This relationship creates meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes that support the sustained excellence and competitiveness of our athletic programs, while honoring the tradition and values of Ohio State,” he said.
The partnership is worth around $17 million per year, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.?
Chase has partnerships with professional sports teams, including a jersey patch for the Dallas Mavericks, and the stadium and arena sponsor for the Golden State Warriors and Inter Miami CF.?
Ohio State is JPMorganChase’s first college athletics partnership.
“As JPMorganChase’s first investment in college athletics, this partnership speaks to both the power of the Buckeyes’ brand and the power of storytelling within college sports,” Cole Gahagan, CEO of Learfield, the exclusive multimedia rights holder for Ohio State athletics, stated in the release.??
JPMorganChase will also sponsor the 1922 Club, a new exclusive, private experience and dining venue in Ohio Stadium.
