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Inside Notre Dame's $20 million jersey patch: What to know about Irish's new SoFi sponsorship deal
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- Inside Notre Dame's $20 million jersey patch: What to know about Irish's new SoFi sponsorship deal
Inside Notre Dame's $20 million jersey patch: What to know about Irish's new SoFi sponsorship deal originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Notre Dame is a college football institution, with some of the cleanest and most consistent uniforms in the sport. In 2026, however, the Fighting Irish are going to look noticeably different.
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As they look to keep up in the ever-evolving world of college sports, the Irish will don a jersey patch for the first time.
Notre Dame enters the season with some of its highest expectations in years as a consensus national championship contender, so the mega company paying to have its name plastered on the Fighting Irish jerseys could see its investment pay off.
Here's what you need to know about Notre Dame's jersey patch for 2026.
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What is Notre Dame's jersey patch?
Notre Dame's uniforms for 2026 feature a jersey patch for SoFi, a company also known for having its name associated with the state-of-the-art home of the NFL's Rams and Chargers. While you'll be hearing plenty about SoFi Stadium in the lead-up to Super Bowl 61, the company will also be visible to fans watching Fighting Irish games this fall.
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Notre Dame and SoFi announced their partnership on July 28, dividing fans who value tradition but giving the Fighting Irish a major cash influx. The patch, situated near the left shoulder, also comes with a new initiative.
"SoFi and Notre Dame Athletics are collaborating to help the next generation of Notre Dame student-athletes build the foundation for long-term financial success," the school said in a press release , explaining that the partnership will "establish an annual fund to further Notre Dame's '4 for Forever' promise, which will support all Notre Dame student-athletes through scholarships, financial education, career development and exclusive opportunities."
Here's more to know about SoFi.
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What does SoFi do?
SoFi is a digital financial services platform and lender that allows individuals to manage their money in a number of ways. SoFi has several loan options for users, offers checking and savings accounts and offers a credit card as well.
SoFi also sponsors the home of the Rams and Chargers, which is set to host its second Super Bowl in February.
How much is SoFi paying for Notre Dame jersey patch?
Notre Dame didn't announce the value of its deal with SoFi, but ESPN reported it's worth between $18-20 million annually over six years. That means the total deal comes in at well over $100 million, giving the Fighting Irish a financial boost in the competitive NIL era.
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How much does it cost to sponsor a college football jersey?
Jersey sponsorship deals depend on each individual program. Notre Dame is one of the most prominent brands in college football, and college football is the driver behind many of these deals, even if they include other sports.
Ohio State agreed to a deal with JPMorganChase this summer, coming in at a reported $17 million per year , for the bank to sponsor all of its jerseys across 36 sports. Illinois, on the other hand, agreed to a sponsorship deal with Busey Bank for only $6 million annually.
At this point, $20 million appears to be the high-water mark for jersey patch deals in college sports.
