In the wake of the NCAA permitting programs to place patches or commercial logos,  the LSU Tigers finalized a deal with Woodside Energy across all sports. They became the first program to utilize the NCAA’s new move to help colleges improve their income. Then, programs like Arkansas, Memphis, New Mexico State, and more joined the number of colleges that will benefit from corporate sponsorships. BYU’s Athletic Director, Brian Santiago, confirmed that the program is also pursuing a similar deal to continue its progress.

“Yeah, we’re pursuing those avenues because it’s an additional opportunity to stay viable with our revenue streams,” said Santiago during his appearance on KSL Sports with Mitch Harper. “And certainly a lot of exposure comes from our football jerseys, our basketball jerseys. We’re currently in the process of selecting our jersey patch.”

The Cougars are aiming to debut the commercial patches on their jerseys this coming fall. While BYU received interest from corporate sponsors to purchase the valuable real estate on their jerseys, the program has not yet finalized the brand that won the sponsorship rights. With schools permitted to share substantial revenue directly with student-athletes, this cash flow will help BYU to keep its roster highly competitive in the NIL era.

“From the standpoint of exposure and partnering with the best companies in the world, we’re very fortunate at BYU to have some of the most powerful companies in the world that are interested in furthering the mission of BYU as a whole, not just the financial model. They’re the reason people invest in BYU athletics,” said Santiago in Big 12 Spring Meetings. “Because they’re very invested in the lives of the student athletes and the overall mission of the University and institution. That’s a powerful combination, that is Cougar Nation.”

BYU is committed to providing $10M to $15M in NIL funding in the new revenue-sharing era; now these corporate sponsor patches on all players’ uniforms will help them to keep that promise. More importantly, it will help Kalani Sitake to retain elite players like RB LJ Martin, secure top-tier portal targets, upgrade the coaching staff pool, and so on. In short, BYU will possess greater resources to compete for a championship across sports.

Following the NCAA’s approval of two logo patches per jersey, LSU’s deal with Woodside Energy will see commercial patches scheduled to debut on game-day jerseys for the 2026–2027 season. LSU’s deal also includes stadium signage.

With the new revenue stream this season, LSU invested $40M+ in building the football roster. Then, the Tigers secured a No. 1-ranked portal class. While LSU is using these corporate patches to enhance the athletic department’s budget, Arkansas uses them differently. Signing a five-year partnership with Tyson Foods, the Razorbacks are putting 90% of the deal’s value straight to player compensation. It will help them to attract elite talent and player retention.

BYU can follow any of the above strategies to use its new revenue stream. However, they can also see what other FBS programs have done with the new revenue stream.

BYU is hoping for a win-win situation

The NBA revolutionized the sports market by bringing sponsor patches on jerseys in 2017. MLB followed suit by approving jersey sleeve sponsor patches in 2023. Following intense financial pressure from the House v. NCAA revenue-sharing settlement, CFB joins that trend. Memphis and UNLV made deals to bridge the financial gap with larger conferences.

UNLV became the first school to announce a five-year deal with Acesso Biologics. While the deal covers football, baseball, and men’s and women’s basketball, it is worth $11 million. Meanwhile, Memphis partnered with shipping giant FedEx. It already debuted those patches on April 18 during Spring Fest.

After partnering with corporate, these programs have opportunities to improve; BYU is waiting to find the right choice. “We’re hopeful,” said Santiago when asked if a deal could be reached before the 2026-27 season. “Certainly, we’re vetting the process, making sure that we’re partnering with the very best companies, and we’re hopeful that this is a win-win for both sides.”

In an era dominated by NIL, having a corporate sponsorship deal for patches on uniforms is a great income stream for a program. BYU has big plans and is heading in the right direction, but if it wants to get there faster, it will have to get the right deal.