When you think about the top brands in college football, your mind immediately goes to two schools: Alabama and Ohio State.
In today's pay-for-play landscape of college athletics, jersey patch sponsorships are an easy path to generating revenue for your athletic department. It's certainly something that Alabama AD Greg Byrne has explored, but it's a delicate balance to ensure that the Crimson Tide's brand, arguably the most well-known in college sports, is valued for what it's worth.
Now Byrne and Alabama know the market.
On Tuesday, Ohio State inked a massive jersey patch sponsorship deal with JPMorgan Chase for a reported value of up to $17 million per year. That number is expected to be an industry leader, per Pete Thamel:
NEWS: Ohio Stare is entering a new corporate partnership with JPMorganChase that includes jersey patches for all 36 OSU teams. Per industry sources, this is expected to yield OSU nearly $17 million per year, an eye-popping number that’s expected to be an industry leader. pic.twitter.com/rZkkeYAuTM
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 28, 2026
Alabama must follow Ohio State's lead and land a lucrative jersey sponsorship deal
Byrne has been right to be protective of the Alabama brand. It is the athletic department's biggest selling point. But it's no secret that the Crimson Tide is not as flush with cash as some of its top competitors, and this is a way to help level the playing field a bit.
It's also a simple one that won't come with a ton of pushback from the fanbase. Pro sports have added jersey patch sponsorships all over, and they are hardly noticeable. It's certainly a better choice than selling the naming rights to Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Alabama will certainly have plenty of suitors if Byrne walks down this path. He probably already has, but it's wise to let your competition reset the market before striking a deal. Byrne now knows the baseline of what would be an acceptable yearly contract for Alabama. It should be no less than what Ohio State got. In fact, it should probably be more.
This is the biggest brand in college sports. It should be paid like it.
In terms of WHO the sponsorship comes from, that fact matters little. There are obviously parameters for who Byrne should choose to work with, but for the most part, it should be the highest bidder. Whether that is Mercedes or Regions or whoever.
It just needs to get done. And soon. There's no reason Byrne can't get this figured out between now and the kickoff to the regular season in a little over a month. That should be a hard deadline. Alabama can certainly use the cash, and Ohio State just set the bar that Byrne and the Crimson Tide can clear.
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