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Many College Football programs eyeing a major sponsorship change

New revenue streams are on the horizon, but who gets the final say?

College football may be on the verge of looking a little more like NASCAR. According to Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger, NCAA Division I commissioners are weighing whether to allow sponsorship patches on jerseys as early as next fall. The move could open major financial doors, but it comes with plenty of debate over who sets the rules.

One major sticking point is control. Should schools, conferences, or the NCAA decide what sponsors are acceptable and how many patches are too many? Leaders worry about “overexposure,” echoing NASCAR’s strategy of limiting logos to keep uniforms from looking overcrowded.

The money at stake is staggering. Learfield president Cole Gahagan has estimated jersey patches could bring anywhere from $500,000 a year for smaller schools to $12 million for top-tier programs. NBA teams already earn $10–20 million annually from uniform patches, proof that the model works.

Another factor is timing. With NIL and revenue-sharing reshaping college sports, programs are searching for new ways to generate value. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark put it bluntly: “Any conversation that involves value creation for our members needs to be on the table.”

If approved, fans could see their favorite college teams sporting brand logos as soon as next season. Whether it’s embraced as progress or criticized as commercialization, one thing is certain: college football is stepping closer to the professional model.