When your team's name is the Rebels, what do you do? Rebel.
The NCAA is set to vote next month on schools wearing sponsored jersey patches, which would open up new revenue streams to athletic departments.
But UNLV isn't waiting for a decision. The school agreed to a five-year, $11 million deal with Acesso Biologics, which involves putting patches on jerseys for the football program, men's and women's basketball teams and the school's baseball team.
“In the world of college athletics right now, it’s extremely important we find ways to generate revenue,” UNLV athletic director Erick Harper told The Athletic. “Obviously, this still has to be approved by the NCAA …. With the anticipation of it going through, it shows we’re on the forefront.”
This agreement is believed to be the first of its kind in college sports.
LSU stated this fall that the school has a deal in place, but there has been no formal announcement.
Learfield Sports, which manages sponsorships and media rights for UNLV and works with other universities across the country, brokered the deal between the Rebels and the Las Vegas-based regenerative medicine company.
Kim Damron, president of Learfield Sports Properties, said more jersey patch deals are already in the works. The company works with over 100 schools and has prepared partnerships in anticipation of the NCAA’s approval.
If the NCAA agrees to the proposal introduced in October by the Division I Administrative Committee, it would allow schools to put two more logos on their uniforms and one on their equipment.
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Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.