Cal is putting Dialpad on the front line of its athletic brand.
The school has struck a multiyear jersey patch agreement with the AI company, a deal that makes Dialpad the first school-specific patch sponsor in ACC history. Brokered by Learfield, the partnership stretches across all 30 of Cal’s varsity sports and its national champion rugby program, giving Dialpad a presence on every Cal uniform.
The school did not disclose financial terms, but Sports Business Journal reported the agreement is believed to be the largest sponsorship in Cal athletics history.
This is much more than a patch. According to Cal Athletics’ release, Dialpad also gets naming rights to the Dialpad Field Club, the largest club space inside California Memorial Stadium. The deal includes on-field apron logos with television visibility behind one end zone, signage at the stadium and Haas Pavilion, football radio spots, and digital ads on CalBears.com and the Cal Bears app.
Dialpad will also be branded as the “Official AI Platform for Fan Experience of Cal Athletics,” with its technology used in ticket sales, customer service, corporate partnerships, and fundraising. The agreement also carries NIL elements, including a content series, player appearances, and “Dialpad Dedicated Fans” video calls.
Co-AD Jenny Simon-O’Neill said the fit made sense for Berkeley’s identity: “It really fits into the ethos of UC Berkeley. We’re the No. 1 startup university in the nation.
This is an AI company that’s based in the Bay founded by Craig Walker, a Cal alum. It’s just a really beautiful partnership from that standpoint.”
Co-AD Jay Larson said the department wanted a deal that covered the whole athletic program, not just the most visible teams. He said it was important to partner with a company that “appreciates comprehensive excellence” across football, basketball and Cal’s Olympic sports programs.
The money from the agreement is expected to help Cal’s broader NIL efforts, especially for football and men’s basketball, while also helping the school navigate future transfer portal battles. Cal Football Athletic Director and General Manager Ron Rivera called the benefits “extensive” and said the impact will reach both the football program and the athletic department as a whole.
Dialpad founder Craig Walker also connected the deal to his own ties to Berkeley. In a company blog post, he wrote that Berkeley “challenges the norms, encourages people to think differently, question assumptions, and build what’s next,” and said those values have shaped Dialpad since the company was founded.
With the announcement, Cal becomes the 23rd school nationally to reveal a jersey patch sponsorship since the NCAA opened the door for those deals in January.
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