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Oklahoma AD Roger Denny not in a Hurry to ad Advertising Patches on Sooners' Uniforms

Denny said there were two primary reasons for not moving quickly to secure a jersey patch deal.
Ryan Aber|
Oklahoma wide receiver Isaiah Sategna, running back Xavier Robinson, quarterback John Mateer
Oklahoma wide receiver Isaiah Sategna, running back Xavier Robinson, quarterback John Mateer | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

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NORMAN — Roger Denny isn’t in a hurry to solidify a deal to put jersey patch advertisements on Oklahoma football, basketball and other uniforms.

“I’m being really stubborn about it,” the Oklahoma athletic director said Thursday in a meeting with reporters. “I think the SSP (Sooner Sports Properties) folks, God bless ’em, they’re showing me a lot of patience.”

Denny gave two primary reasons for slow-playing the deal, which became possible after the NCAA approved a proposal in January to allow schools and conferences to sell ad space on uniforms and other gear.

The first is no surprise — money.

“The difference in values from the folks that jumped early vs. some of the ones that have jumped here pretty recently is significant,” Denny said. “I think that’s a supply and demand issue. There are only so many jerseys out there that carry as much value as an Oklahoma Sooners jersey. There are a heck of a lot more brands out there than the number of those jerseys and so we’re being really deliberate to make sure we get the appropriate value out of that deal.”

Notre Dame made waves last month when it announced a deal with SoFi that is expected to net the school around $20 million annually over six years.

LSU signed the first such deal, reportedly agreeing to the deal with Woodside Energy before the NCAA’s approval and announcing in February.

The value of that deal has not been made public.

The Big 12 signed a conference-wide deal with Monster Energy for $20 million annually for patches on the conference’s football and men’s and women’s basketball jerseys as well as naming rights for regular-season games and on-court logos on the league’s basketball courts.

Individual teams in the league have also signed their own deals, including Oklahoma State’s with Osage Nation and BYU’s with Ripple.

It’s not just the money that has kept Denny back, though.

“I’m not going to use our jersey for nothing but an advertisement,” Denny said. “It’s got to be something that has impact beyond commercial advertisement. So we’re going to continue to search for a partner that really fits us and a story that aligns with the story that we’re telling about the Oklahoma Sooners. 

“So until we find the right partner and the right value, we’re not going to jump at a deal that doesn’t fit our criteria.”

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Ryan Aber
RYAN ABER

Ryan Aber has been covering Oklahoma football for more than a decade continuously and since 1999 overall. Ryan was the OU beat writer for The Oklahoman from 2013-2025, covering the transition from Bob Stoops to Lincoln Riley to Brent Venables. He covered OU men's basketball's run to the Final Four in 2016 and numerous national championships for the Sooners' women's gymnastics and softball programs. Prior to taking on the Sooners beat, Ryan covered high schools, the Oklahoma City RedHawks and Oklahoma City Barons for the newspaper from 2006-13. He spent two seasons covering Arkansas football for the Morning News of Northwest Arkansas before returning to his hometown of Oklahoma City. Ryan also worked at the Southwest Times Record in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and the Muskogee Phoenix. At the Phoenix, he covered OU's national championship run in 2000. Ryan is a graduate of Putnam City North High School in Oklahoma City and Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.

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