Notre Dame is keeping pace with the new financial reality of college sports, and that means a first for one of the sport’s cleanest looks. In 2026, the Fighting Irish will wear a jersey patch for the first time, with SoFi set to appear near the left shoulder.
The move was announced on July 28 and immediately split fans who care deeply about tradition. It also brings Notre Dame a major cash injection at a time when the program enters the season with some of its highest expectations in years as a consensus national championship contender.
The school said the partnership is tied to a broader initiative aimed at helping student-athletes beyond the field. “SoFi and Notre Dame Athletics are collaborating to help the next generation of Notre Dame student-athletes build the foundation for long-term financial success,” the school said in a press release, explaining that the partnership will “establish an annual fund to further Notre Dame’s '4 for Forever' promise, which will support all Notre Dame student-athletes through scholarships, financial education, career development and exclusive opportunities.”
SoFi, the company behind the patch, is a digital financial services platform and lender. It offers loan options, checking and savings accounts and a credit card, and it also has its name on the home of the Rams and Chargers. That venue is set to host its second Super Bowl in February, with Super Bowl 61 on the horizon as well.
Notre Dame did not disclose the value of the deal, but ESPN reported the agreement is worth between $18-20 million annually over six years. That puts the total at well over $100 million, a huge number even in the NIL era.
College jersey sponsorships vary widely depending on the school and the reach of the brand. Ohio State reached a reported $17 million per year agreement with JPMorganChase this summer to put the bank on all of its jerseys across 36 sports. Illinois, meanwhile, landed a deal with Busey Bank worth $6 million annually.
For now, $20 million looks like the ceiling for college sports jersey patch deals.
In Other News...
Michigans Opener Already Sparked A Response Fans Will Notice Against Oklahoma
Rod Moore did not sugarcoat Michigans season-opening showing against Western Michigan, calling it well below the standard the Wolverines expect. The reaction inside the program was immediate, too, with team captains calling an emergency player-only meeting to address what went wrong and to reset the tone before the schedule tightens up.
The response showed up on the practice field, where the defense ramped up its physical intensity in preparation for Oklahoma. Edge defender Dom Nichols also drew attention for both his strong play and his work ethic, a reminder that Michigan is trying to turn a flat opener into a sharper, more urgent version of itself before a much bigger test arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Win Is Now At Center Of A Stunning Official Fight
The final sequence of Michigans 13-12 win over Western Michigan has turned into more than a narrow nonconference finish. A reviewed Hail Mary added one second back onto the clock, and that extra snap led to the game-winning catch that kept the Wolverines on top. The Big Ten later backed the decision after its own video review, treating the ending as a properly administered piece of officiating in a game that was already tense enough on the field.
Now the dispute has moved from the scoreboard to the offices that govern the sport. The Mid-American Conference has formally appealed to the NCAA FBS Oversight Committee and the College Football Playoff, asking them to recognize Western Michigan as the winner. For Michigan, the result stands for now, but the unusual fight over a single second has made this one of the more talked-about finishes of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Win Sparked A Debate Fans Should Care About
Michigans disputed 13-12 win over Western Michigan did more than send people scrambling through the rule book. It also reignited a familiar gripe about how college football handles the last moments of a close game, with ESPNs Rece Davis arguing that fans would be better served by a single shared game clock and by live access to replay officials conversations so the process feels less opaque.
The sequence at the end of the game made the frustration easy to understand: the broadcast clock hit zero, but replay officials restored one second after using a synchronized system, and Michigan turned that final snap into the touchdown that decided it. Officials and conference representatives backed up the replay process, and Western Michigan president Richard N. Yensen acknowledged the clocks did not match while saying he did not view the outcome as unfair, but the larger transparency debate is unlikely to fade soon. [Read more 🡒]