UCLA Athletics has lined up a new multiyear deal with JLab, making the audio company the Official Headphone Sponsor of UCLA Football and UCLA Men’s and Women’s Basketball starting this fall.
The partnership gives JLab one of its deepest collegiate integrations yet, with the brand set to show up in the parts of Bruins life that matter most - from preparation and competition to the atmosphere on gameday and day-to-day life around campus.
Football is the most visible piece of the agreement. Beginning this season, JLab branding will appear on all coaches’ headsets, putting the company’s audio technology directly into the communication and preparation process during the week and on key gameday moments.
The timing matters, too, with UCLA Football moving into a new era under head coach Bob Chesney. Chesney arrives in Westwood after guiding James Madison to its most successful stretch to date, capped by a College Football Playoff appearance.
“College football is where performance, personality and culture come together, and sound is part of how athletes prepare, compete and celebrate,” said Terra Teat, Chief Marketing Officer at JLab. “UCLA Athletics showcases these attributes, from their established names and emerging talent, the program reflects JLab’s belief that high-performance technology should be accessible to every athlete and fan.”
The reach of the deal extends beyond the field. Select Bruin student-athletes are part of this year’s JLab Playmakers Name, Image, and Likeness roster, tying the brand not just to games but to the wider student-athlete experience. The campaign is built around the daily rhythm of being a Bruin - traveling, training, preparing, and competing.
JMI Sports, UCLA Athletics’ multimedia rights partner operating locally as UCLA and Rose Bowl Properties, helped shape the agreement and build the broader package around it. The partnership will also bring JLab activations to the Rose Bowl Stadium, Pauley Pavilion, and other UCLA Athletics touchpoints throughout the year.
“JLab has already built a purposeful connection with the Bruin community through its NIL program and expanding that presence into the gameday experience is a natural next step,” said Scott Gwartz, Vice President, Partnerships at UCLA and Rose Bowl Properties. “From the sidelines to the student section, audio plays an important role in how teams communicate, prepare, and connect, and we are excited to see JLab integrate their technology into life across UCLA Athletics and Campus to become a bigger part of the Bruin family.”
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