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By Megan Armstrong
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Is nothing sacred anymore? Evidently, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish uniforms aren't.
Notre Dame and SoFi Technologies jointly announced "a multi-year collaboration," which makes SoFi "the official financial services partner of Notre Dame Athletics and the first non-apparel brand to appear as a jersey patch on all Fighting Irish uniforms."
According to Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated, the six-year pact is "valued by industry experts in the nine-figure range," which would make it "the biggest announced in college sports history."
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ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported that the deal is worth approximately $18 million to $20 million per year, citing unnamed industry sources.
“We wanted to do this in the Notre Dame style of doing things,” Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua told Forde. “Think of the 2024 season [when the Irish advanced to the College Football Playoff title game], we had patches on our jerseys almost 25% of the time with all the bowl games. We’ve crossed that Rubicon. But this relationship with SoFi isn't just a patch on the jersey. It’s about helping all our student-athletes."
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Whatever the reasons behind it, jersey patches and corporate sponsorships have swallowed college sports — particularly college football. Of course, that has been the case for a few years now, but it will be even more pronounced come the 2026 season.
In January, NCAA Division I leaders approved uniform patches across sports, beginning this season. The new rule allows Division I teams to place up to two patches on jerseys for regular-season games.
Ohio State held the record for richest-ever jersey patch with JPMorgan Chase for a few hours before Notre Dame's announcement, and a program will inevitably topple Notre Dame in due time. Monster Energy sponsors the Big 12 now, after all.
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