Arizona basketball, football teams to wear Monster patch on uniforms via Big 12 sponsorship deal

Among the newest revenue streams in college athletics is advertising on uniforms, with the NCAA allowing sponsor patches. And while some schools have landed individual deals, the Big 12 Conference is the first to land one that covers all its members.

Monster Energy was announced Tuesday as the Big 12’s “entitlement partner” for football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball, a $20 million annual deal that will see all 16 conference schools’ teams in those sports wear co-branded patches for the energy drink company on their jerseys. The deal also includes logos on all Big 12 basketball courts and football fields, in each case replacing the old conference logo.

As part of the agreement, each Big 12 school will receive roughly $1 million annually. Monster Energy is also sponsoring the regular season for basketball and football.

Arizona recently sold naming rights to its two biggest facilities, with Casino del Sol agreeing to a 20-year, $60 million deal last November to rename Arizona Stadium. Then in February, McKale Center was renamed McKale Center at ALKEME Arena after under a 15-year, $27.7-million agreement.

The deal with Monster Energy doesn’t prevent the UA or other Big 12 schools from securing their own deals for additional jersey patches, though other energy drinks are prohibited. Athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois has said that’s an avenue she’s pursuing in an effort to help the athletic department generate the funds needed to cover new costs associated with revenue sharing in college sports.