Notre Dame may have lost to Ohio State in the 2025 national championship game, but they got revenge Tuesday. Kind of.
After Ohio State announced a partnership with JPMorganChase that includes jersey patches for $17 million a year, Notre Dame one-upped the Buckeyes as their six-year deal with SoFi Technologies is worth $18 million to $20 million a year –- the richest deal in college athletics history.
Starting in the fall season this year, the financial service company’s brand will be placed on the Fighting Irish’s jerseys in every sport.
Per a news release, SoFi plans to establish a new annual $1.4 million fund to support Notre Dame’s “4 for Forever” campaign.
The campaign funds scholarships in 26 sports and supports student-athletes through financial education, career development and other opportunities.
SoFi will also establish a full-tuition Champions Scholarship, one that’ll be awarded to one men’s and women’s walk-on who “exemplify ambition, resilience, leadership and service.”
“Our ‘4 for Forever’ promise at Notre Dame is paramount to providing the best student-athlete experience in the country,” Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in a statement.
“SoFi shares in this commitment to developing strong, ambitious leaders who are set up for success at Notre Dame and beyond. Together, our relationship will create lasting value for our student-athletes and their families for generations to come.”
In January, NCAA Division I leaders approved corporate jersey patches to generate millions of dollars to help athletic departments pay for the rapidly rising costs of paying student-athletes.
During regular-season games, teams are also permitted to place two patches under four square inches on uniforms.
It’s not just Ohio State and Notre Dame adding patches to their jerseys. It’s becoming a more significant trend.
Other schools like LSU, Wisconsin and Arkansas have also followed suit, and many more are expected to do so in the future.
