A Penn State jersey patch is coming, and the only real question is how soon
The NCAA opened the door in January, and college sports wasted no time walking through it. Once the DI cabinet approved commercial patches for uniforms, equipment and apparel, the move toward jersey sponsorships stopped being a debate and started becoming a countdown. In the Big Ten, that countdown is already well underway.
Illinois was the latest to jump in on Monday, announcing a partnership with Busey Bank and becoming the third conference program to reveal a jersey sponsorship patch. Northwestern and Michigan State were already there.
The smaller-budget schools make sense as early adopters; they have the most pressure to find new money wherever they can. But the bigger powers are dragging everyone else along with them.
Then came Ohio State.
On Tuesday, the Buckeyes announced a JP Morgan Chase patch on all of their athletic uniforms, and that deal changes the temperature around the whole conference. Illinois’ agreement is worth $30 million over five years.
Ohio State’s is set to bring in $17 million annually. That kind of number doesn’t just raise eyebrows - it forces everyone else to react.
For Penn State, the message is plain: matching that kind of revenue stream is no longer optional if the goal is to keep pace. Ohio State is already spending the most money on its football roster in the Big Ten, with Oregon right there too and Indiana’s donor base surging after Curt Cignetti’s unfathomable turnaround. But the Buckeyes still sit at the center of the spending race, and that race has only gotten more expensive since they won it all in 2024 with a $20 million roster.
That figure used to sound enormous. Not anymore.
Within two years, multiple programs are pushing past $50 million on football rosters, and several basketball teams are climbing north of $20 million. The market keeps stretching, even if it won’t stretch forever.
There are only so many billionaires willing to bankroll their favorite team, though the pool is apparently growing.
What hasn’t changed is the basic truth of the modern college game: championships cost more than ever. Programs that want to stay in that fight have to chase every available dollar. That’s how you end up with things like the “Monster Energy Big 12,” which sounds absurd until you remember it is very real.
So yes, the same logic points straight at Penn State. Fans may cringe at the idea of Giant, West Shore Home, Utz, or another corporate partner landing on one of the most recognizable uniforms in sports, but the trend is already in motion. If Ohio State is doing it, Penn State is going to have to do it too.
Maybe it happens soon. Maybe it’s only days away before the Nittany Lions announce their own jersey patch partner and the Basic Blues become a little less basic. The expectation is that Pat Kraft is already working on a deal, and if he isn’t, that would be hard to explain.
Nobody has to like it. The truth is, plenty of people won’t.
But in the current college sports economy, that reaction isn’t enough to stop it. Penn State’s jerseys are heading for a patch, and the only thing left to learn is whose name gets stitched onto them.
In Other News...
Penn States Iconic Jersey Is About To Change Forever
Penn States football uniforms are headed for a long-anticipated change, with athletic director Pat Kraft confirming the program will soon add a corporate logo patch to the jerseys. It is the latest sign that even one of college footballs most tradition-heavy brands is adjusting to the new financial realities of the sport, and Penn State is approaching the move with the same caution it has shown in other revenue pursuits.
Kraft said the department is weighing the right fit while trying to protect the look and feel of the jersey, a balancing act that has become familiar across the Big Ten as more schools embrace patch deals. Penn State has already leaned into other money-making avenues, from a cryptocurrency fan token platform to a stadium field-naming rights agreement, and the jersey patch now appears to be the next piece of that broader push, even if the final rollout is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kraft Just Sent Penn State Fans A Blunt Basketball Message
Penn States mens basketball budget is getting a noticeable lift, and athletic director Pat Kraft made it clear the program is being asked to think bigger about what it takes to compete in the Big Ten. In an interview, Kraft said the Nittany Lions are still spending below the leagues top programs, even as the budget has nearly doubled for the 2026-2027 season and now sits around $8 million, with NIL and third-party support playing a growing role in how schools build rosters.
Kraft also put the focus on the people trying to make that money matter, praising Mike Rhoades and his staff for the way they have recruited and developed the roster. The message was straightforward: Penn State wants to be competitive at a high level, but getting there means more than just opening the checkbook, and the next step in that climb will depend on how the program keeps bridging the gap with the leagues biggest spenders. [Read more 🡒]