Two Brands That Would Make Perfect Sense for a Jersey Patch on Colorado Uniforms

Buffalo Wild Wings went viral on social media for the tagging the Colorado Buffaloes in a recent reaction to an NIL deal between the Arkansas Razorbacks and Tyson Foods, a multinational cooperation and the world's second-largest processor of chicken, beef, and pork. Could Colorado be featuring a Buffalo Wild Wings jersey patch in the near future?

The NCAA is now allowing teams to wear sponsored jersey patches, and many schools are using the opportunity to increase NIL funding. For Arkansas and Tyson Foods, the Razorbacks reportedly signed a five-year deal, and student-athletes are expected to receive 90 percent of the money generated.

colorado buffaloes jersey patch sponsors buffalo wild wings deion sanders aflac blenders eyewear fernando lovo big 12 — Nov 29, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on during the second quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders recently confirmed that the team will be wearing a jersey patch to honor the death of their teammate, quarterback Dominiq Ponder, who passed away on March 1. Given the tragedy that Colorado is currently dealing with, the program might not be interested in adding anything else to its jerseys besides the tribute to Ponder.

If Colorado does choose to pursue a sponsored-jersey patch for next season or any time in the future, which brand would make the most sense?

Buffalo Wild Wings

A deal between the Colorado Buffaloes and Buffalo Wild Wings makes sense for a variety of reasons beyond the name.

Buffalo Wild Wings is already associated with sports, especially football, and the restaurant chain could stand to gain from some extra advertising thanks to Colorado's jerseys. With the Buffaloes consistently being on national TV, thanks in part to the celebrity of "Coach Prime," Colorado could have more leverage than most other teams in the Big 12.

Fans might be familiar with seeing Buffalo Wild Wings commercials during college football games or throughout the NCAA Tournament as Buffalo Wild Wings is already an official sponsor of the NCAA, avoiding any potential conflicts of interests if the Buffaloes were to strike a deal. However, would the restaurant chain be less likely to commit more advertising dollars to college football?

Blenders Eyewear

If Colorado wants to pursue an NIL-friendly deal like Tyson Foods' jersey patch with Arkansas, a company connected to the program or to "Coach Prime" would make sense. Sanders has many relationships with brands thanks to his own playing days as well as his career as a TV personality, potentially opening Colorado up to brands like Aflac or Nike.

Blenders produces the iconic "Coach Prime" sunglasses, made through an exclusive collaboration between Sanders and the company. Sanders' sunglasses, titled the Prime 21 by Blenders, have become a distinct part of his image as the leader of the Buffaloes program, and they can be bought online.

The connection betwen Blenders and the Colorado football team is obvious thanks to Sanders, but Buffaloes athletic director Fernando Lovo might be focusing more on deals for all of the athletic teams at the university.

With NIL funding becoming crucial to competing at the top level of college sports, most teams are expected to pursue adding jersey patches in the coming seasons.

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