Utah football is adding a new look to its helmets before the 2026 opener, with ALKEME Insurance set to sponsor the program’s equipment in a multi-year deal.
The agreement gives ALKEME’s logo a spot on the bumper of Utah’s helmets, another sign of how aggressively college athletics departments are leaning into sponsorships to bring in more money. Around the sport, those kinds of arrangements have become increasingly common, from ads on jerseys to logos on fields and courts.
Utah Athletics and ALKEME announced the partnership on Tuesday, and the deal also extends beyond the football team. ALKEME will work with the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business to create an internship program.
Mark Harlan, Utah’s director of athletics, called the partnership “a tremendous example of the impact that can be made when a partner that shares our values and our vision comes forward in a really creative way,” in a press release.
“It also speaks to the new opportunities that are emerging through the innovative approach of Crimson Brand Partners. Our student-athletes will benefit from the investment that ALKEME is making in our athletics programs, and the internship program will open doors for University of Utah students.”
Curtis Barton, ALKEME’s CEO, said in the release that “We look for partners who are genuinely pushing their industry forward, and Utah Athletics does exactly that,”
“As we continue growing our presence across Utah, there’s no better partner to stand alongside than a program that consistently sets the pace for what’s next in college athletics - both on the field and off it. We’re proud to be part of that ambition as Utah Athletics’ official insurance sponsor, and we’re excited about what this partnership means for our continued growth in the state.”
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