Ohio State has turned one of college sports’ tiniest pieces of real estate into a massive payday.
The school announced Tuesday that JPMorganChase will become a corporate partner across Ohio State Athletics, with a Chase Bank patch appearing on the uniforms of all 36 varsity teams. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the deal is expected to bring in close to $17 million a year, according to industry sources. Ohio State did not disclose the financial terms.
That figure lands at the top of the college sports market and instantly changes the conversation around jersey patch sales. Chase is now the official bank sponsor of Ohio State Athletics, and the logo will show up everywhere from football to fencing, covering both men’s and women’s programs in Columbus.
The agreement reaches well beyond the patch itself. Chase will be the presenting sponsor of the 1922 Club, a new private club at Ohio Stadium, and the bank will also receive added signage at Ohio Stadium and the Schottenstein Center. Chase cardholders will get ticket offers and game day savings, while athletes will receive NIL deals and financial education programming.
Ross Bjork, Ohio State’s senior vice president and athletics director, said in a statement that "JPMorganChase is a global brand with deep roots in Ohio, making them a natural partner that shares our commitment to innovation, excellence and long-term community impact."
Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties brokered the deal. The bank employs 18,000 people in central Ohio and has hired more than 1,700 Ohio State graduates over the past five years.
The scale of the agreement is what makes it stand out. Research firm GlobalData found NBA sponsors were paying an average of $10.88 million a year for patch rights, with the Knicks and Nets near the top at around $30 million and the Magic and Jazz around $5 million. Ohio State, by that measure, is landing above most NBA teams.
The comparison still comes with a major caveat: the college version reaches far more people. An NBA patch covers one roster and 82 games. At Ohio State, the Chase logo will be seen on roughly 1,000 athletes across hundreds of events in a year.
Commercial patches are still new territory in college athletics. The NCAA approved them in January, and schools can wear up to two logos of four square inches beginning August 1.
The timing matters because the money is arriving just as schools prepare for a bigger financial commitment to athletes. Under the House settlement terms, schools can share up to $21.3 million with athletes in 2026-27. Bjork said in June that Ohio State will pay the full amount, telling reporters, "We'll max out."
One patch could nearly cover that entire bill. Ohio State reported a record $336 million in revenue in fiscal 2025 against roughly $320 million in expenses, and it is also planning a $125 million renovation of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
SponsorUnited reported that about 95% of college patch inventory remains unsold.
The Chase logo will make its college football debut on Sat., Sept. 5, when Ball State visits Ohio State at 12:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network. The Buckeyes will wear redesigned uniforms with Buckeye stripes on new turf at Safelite Field.
A bank is paying eight figures for space on athletes’ chests, and part of that money will help teach those same athletes how to handle the checks they are now receiving.
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