NCAA and Syracuse athletics move one step closer to uniform ads starting in 2026

It was inevitable. With the consistent search of new sources of revenue in major college sports, programs like SU will look at all new opportunities under recently changed NCAA rules which clears the way for commercial endorsements on team uniforms.

The overhead video board at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: File Photo-The Juice Online, On SI | File Photo-The Juice Online, On SI

The NCAA on Wednesday approved rules changes that removed the barrier of placing sponsorship advertising on team uniforms. Currently, advertising marks (commercial logos in NCAA lingo) were only allowed on athletes' equipment or team apparel during the regular season if it was the equipment manufacturer or the specific company's mark.

And sure enough, there is already a deal to announce. On Thursday, LSU went ahead and revealed it had inked a multi-million dollar contract with a current sponsor, Australian-based Woodside Energy, for ads on all men's and women's team uniforms, while awaiting the final NCAA changes.

What might that deal be worth to LSU athletics? Industry estimates are somewhere in the range of $5-10M per year.

Advertising on Syracuse Orange uniforms is simply a no-brainer

Not too many sports fans care for sponsor ads on team uniforms in MLB, the NBA/NHL and soccer teams in the U.S. and abroad, but at this point in their evolution, the subject is now pretty much reacted to with a shrug.

Teams and programs need to continually raise revenue, and sewing a patch on a uniform is a pretty easy way to do so.

Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack announced in February the school's $50M fundraising campaign to help achieve continued athletic success. That was just over three months prior to the House v. NCAA settlement was approved by a federal judge, clearing the way for schools to directly pay athletes with an annual working budget of $20.5M.

For Syracuse, that is to primarily serve the football and men's/women's basketball programs, by finding new revenue sources to fund the initiative. Adding several million dollars per year by adding ad patches to 'Cuse uniforms is one of those pathways.

Which company name will appear on Syracuse uniforms?

The NCAA rule changes, to be voted on in January, will allow schools to display two additional commercial logos on uniforms during non-championship (ACC and NCAA postseason and CFP games excluded) competition, and one logo for championship games in addition to the standard manufacturer (Nike) logo.

Syracuse Sports Properties is the locally-based Learfield (sports marketing) team that handles Orange athletics sponsorships, and its staff has been working on preparing uniform sponsorship opportunities ("patch packages") in anticipation of the NCAA changes.

Like LSU, it figures that SU will want to both extend further opportunities to existing clientele that have the requisite budgets, and expand comfortable relationships. That sounds like companies such as JMA Wireless, Toyota, Coca-Cola, and Dunkin, and perhaps Wegmans or even Micron.

Two things are certain, there are several directions for the school to choose as a sponsor for uniform ads, and those patches will be on the Syracuse football uniforms when the team kicks-off the 2026 season.