Ohio State just cashed in. Big time.
The Buckeyes have signed a corporate partnership with JPMorgan Chase that will put jersey patches on all 36 of their athletic programs, including the football team. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the deal is expected to pay Ohio State roughly $17 million per year. That’s an eye-popping number that industry sources say leads the entire sport for a single university.
The patch will sit right above the Big Ten logo on the football jerseys. Fans will see it for the first time on September 5, when Ohio State opens its season against Ball State. And yeah, expectations are already sky-high for a team that thinks it can win a national championship this year.
This isn’t just a football deal. It covers every Buckeye team — from soccer to volleyball to field hockey. That kind of unified sponsorship is still relatively rare in college sports, but the money makes it pretty easy to understand why schools are moving this direction.
JPMorgan Chase has deep ties to Ohio already. The company is one of the largest private employers in Columbus, and over the past five years, it has hired more than 1,700 Ohio State alumni. So this isn’t some faceless corporation slapping a logo on a jersey. There’s a real local connection.
“JPMorganChase is a global brand with deep roots in Ohio, making them a natural partner that shares our commitment to innovation, excellence and long-term community impact,” Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said in a statement. He called the partnership historic and said it creates meaningful opportunities for student-athletes while honoring the tradition and values of Ohio State.
Chase CEO Jennifer Roberts said the company is proud to support the student-athletes and fans. She mentioned financial education resources for players, exclusive fan experiences, and gameday offers as part of the partnership.
The Big Ten Jersey Patch Trend Is Real
Ohio State is the fourth Big Ten school to announce a jersey patch deal this offseason. Illinois has a deal with Busey Bank. Michigan State signed with MSU Federal Credit Union. Wisconsin partnered with Culver’s. But none of those deals come close to the $17 million annual figure Ohio State is reportedly getting.
This explosion of jersey patch deals follows the Big 12’s recent announcement that it sold naming rights for conference games to Monster Energy, which also includes jersey patches for Big 12 teams. College athletics is clearly in a new era of corporate branding, driven largely by the need to fund NIL budgets and keep up in an arms race that shows no signs of slowing down.
For Ohio State, $17 million a year is a massive chunk of change. How that money gets allocated — whether it goes directly to athletes, facilities, or something else — will be worth watching. But for now, the Buckeyes can say they landed the richest jersey patch deal in college sports. And that alone says a lot about where this industry is headed.
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