Major College Football Program Becomes First to Reveal Sponsorship Jersey Patches

With the sweeping changes to the financial structure of college athletics in recent years -- and schools' subsequent need for increased revenue to keep up accordingly -- the NCAA announced a major rule change last month.

Starting Aug. 1, Division I college teams will be permitted to wear up to two patches not to exceed four square inches on their uniforms for regular-season games in addition to the logos and insignias of the apparel providers already allowed. (Whether or how that extends to NCAA-run postseason tournaments is still being evaluated).

This gives college programs a fresh revenue stream to sell sponsorship opportunities and help fund their strained athletic department budgets.

And one high-profile school gave an early look at how its football uniforms will incorporate sponsor patches in 2026.

LSU officially announced a sponsorship partnership with Woodside Energy on Monday. The Tigers will wear the global energy company's logo on all 21 of its teams' competition apparel, while the deal also includes prominent signage at all athletic venues and other marketing opportunities.

Per The Daily Advertiser, LSU already wore Woodside Energy patches on its football practice jerseys last season. The NCAA passed the approval for in-season sponsorship patches last month.

"LSU Athletics, in a precedent-setting, multi-year deal, has announced a first-of-its-kind jersey patch partnership with Woodside Energy, marking a significant milestone in the new collegiate model," the school's official news release said.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the school.

Sponsorship patches are here https://t.co/ODYjEUzoJd
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) February 16, 2026

“This partnership with Woodside Energy represents a transformational moment for LSU Athletics and speaks to the trajectory of college sports,” LSU deputy director of athletics Clay Harris said in a statement. “We are proud to be pioneers in this space and to do so in a way that has such a profound impact on LSU student-athletes and the state of Louisiana."

This will surely be the norm for most college programs in short order, as schools look to fund the revenue-sharing budget, which now allows them to directly pay student-athletes.

For this 2025-26 academic/athletic year, schools were permitted to share $20.5 million in revenue with athletes across their teams. That represents 22% of the average athletics revenue of Power 4 conference teams, with the cap expected to continue rising moving forward. It does not include academic scholarships and is separate from outside NIL opportunities for athletes.

Sponsorship patches on jerseys are just the next reflection of a new era of college athletics.