Money is a bigger part of college sports than ever, and Georgia is leaning into that reality with a long-term move.
The University of Georgia announced Thursday that it has agreed to a 15-year extension with Learfield, a partnership that now runs through 2042. In the school’s release, the deal is described as creating room “to collaborate on new sponsorship, media, and fan engagement opportunities.”
Athletic director Josh Brooks called the agreement a major step for the department.
“This new partnership represents a historical moment for our program as we focus on providing meaningful experiences for student-athletes, supporters and corporate partners,” Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said in a statement. “To remain at the forefront during this new era in college athletics, it is vitally important we strengthen our investment in student-athletes and connect them with brands that help them be successful during their time at UGA and beyond. Learfield is the industry leader when it comes to fostering strategic partnerships, and we are thrilled to extend our agreement for the next 15 years.”
Georgia has already had plenty of examples of that kind of brand connection through Learfield, with companies such as Progressive, Georgia’s Own Credit Union, Coca-Cola, Chick fil-A, Delta and other major businesses from inside the state of Georgia.
The partnership also fits into the broader financial pressure points around the sport, something Kirby Smart addressed this week when talking about the need to keep up.
“It’s different than then, but it’s the same as it’s been for four or five years, so I don’t look at it as different because the adjustments have been made, they continue to change, but change is inevitable,” Smart said. “And I feel like the last three to four years, it’s been pretty consistent that you have to dedicate time to both where when I took the job, that wasn’t the case.”
Learfield’s role goes beyond sponsorships. The company also works with Georgia’s in-house media team to help tell student-athlete stories and maximize brand activations.
Learfield CEO and President Cole Gahagan said the company sees the extension as a chance to keep pushing Georgia’s business side forward.
“Josh and his team have consistently led through this period of profound change with a clear vision and commitment to excellence,” Learfield CEO and President Cole Gahagan said in a statement. “By pairing Learfield’s scale and innovation with the strength of the Bulldogs brand, we will continue to grow Georgia Athletics revenues at record levels, deliver authentic partnerships for Bulldogs student-athletes, and engage fans.”
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