We are in the era of corporate America being everywhere in college athletics. In no sport is that more prevalent than college football. Teams around the country are trying to find ways to get more money to keep up with the NIL arms race. That includes Ohio State.
While the Ohio State football program generates the most or the second-most money of any program in the country, they still need additional capital. On Tuesday, the Buckeyes announced a deal with JPMorgan Chase to have a jersey patch on all 36 varsity sports.
Ohio State will get a boatload of money from JPMorgan Chase for their jersey patch
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, the Ohio State Buckeyes could end up getting as much as $17 million from them for the jersey patch. A lot of that will no doubt be generated because of the exposure from the football program. However, all sports will wear the patch.
NEWS: Ohio Stare is entering a new corporate partnership with JPMorganChase that includes jersey patches for all 36 OSU teams. Per industry sources, this is expected to yield OSU nearly $17 million per year, an eye-popping number that’s expected to be an industry leader. pic.twitter.com/rZkkeYAuTM
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 28, 2026
Do I want to see the Buckeyes wear a corporate patch on their jerseys? No. Does any Ohio State fan? I doubt it. However, the money that will come in from it is industry-leading. It also gives Ohio State players a chance to secure NIL deals through JPMorgan Chase, which is an additional benefit.
Every team across the country will eventually have a jersey patch, so this is no surprise. Ross Bjork basically confirmed that a deal with a company was going to get done before the 2026 football season began. What is a surprise is that it's not from an Ohio-based company.
I'm surprised that Nationwide didn't step up and get a deal done. Wendy's could have had a chance to jump into the fray, as well. Firestone is another big company that could have done something, and so is Kroger. Instead, Bjork struck a deal with JPMorgan Chase.
Ross Bjork's corporate greed is sometimes good for Ohio State
Bjork's need to make his corporate overlords happy has had some negative consequences in the past. Namely, the terrible seating in the South stands that will debut this year, displacing both students and the band. He is trying to extract money from every possible thing.
However, this is one instance in which he is doing the right thing. Since every other university in the nation is doing this, he needed to strike a deal that was better than everyone else's. It seems that he has done that, and that will benefit the athletic department in the long-term.
This is the kind of deal that can help the Buckeyes make sure that they don't need to cut sports. Cutting non-revenue-generating sports has been a big topic for universities over the last few years. Bjork has been mostly steadfast that he doesn't want to do that, and this jersey patch deal could help keep that dream alive.
Saturdays this Fall will be the first time most Buckeye fans see the patch. There's a good chance that they won't even notice it when they walk into the Shoe for the first time this year.
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