FRISCO, Tex. - Big 12 Media Days produced plenty of chatter, but one topic kept bubbling up: patches.
Sponsorship patches were a major conversation over the last 48 hours, and the Big 12’s new agreement with Monster Energy sat right at the center of it. The conference announced the deal at $20 million per year, which works out to $1.25 million per school on paper.
But that’s only the starting point. The expectation is that the Big 12 will also take a cut, which means even less money may ultimately reach athletic departments.
The comparison point that turned heads: UNLV’s patch sponsorship with Acesso Biologics, a deal worth roughly $2.2 million per year over five years. Against that backdrop, the Big 12’s number drew scrutiny.
There is a marketing component here, too. Monster Energy will have Big 12 assets included in its worldwide marketing, so the league is getting exposure beyond the direct cash figure. The question, though, is how that exposure gets translated into real value when hard dollars matter so much.
From where this looks, the deal doesn’t appear to be a strong one for the Big 12 or its members.
Another number making the rounds involved roster spending. The sense around the industry is that the average total roster cost in the Big 12 falls somewhere between $20 million and $25 million. Texas Tech is believed to be well above that, north of $40 million, while other programs are still trying to reach the $20 million mark.
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