Notre Dame athletics is stepping into a new lane in the NIL era, and the change will be visible on every varsity uniform.
For the first time, the school will place a non-apparel brand as a jersey patch across all of its varsity teams. The partner is SoFi Technologies, the digital financial services company that has signed on in a reported six-year agreement with Notre Dame.
Yahoo.com pegged the deal at an average of $18 million to $20 million per year, making it Notre Dame’s record agreement for now. The school announced the partnership Tuesday, July 28, and said SoFi will serve as the official financial services partner of Notre Dame athletics.
The move arrives as college sports keeps getting more expensive in the NIL era, with roster costs climbing fast. Ohio State recently unveiled a similar arrangement with Chase Bank, a deal reported at $15 million to $17 million annually.
Notre Dame said the SoFi partnership will create an annual fund tied to its “4 For Forever” program, supporting scholarships, financial education and career development.
“Our ‘4 for Forever’ promise at Notre Dame is paramount to providing the best student-athlete experience in the country,” Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in a statement. “SoFi shares in this commitment to developing strong, ambitious leaders who are set up for success at Notre Dame and beyond. Together, our relationship will create lasting value for our student-athletes and their families for generations to come.”
Notre Dame is hardly alone in this shift. More than two dozen colleges have already announced sponsorship deals that include uniform patches for at least one sport. The trend has spread even further in the Big 12, which signed with Monster Energy for branding across football and men’s and women’s basketball for all 16 league members.
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