College Footballers Can Now Wear Casino Sponsorships On Their Jerseys

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) now permits Division I schools to display commercial logos on regular-season uniforms, which is creating new opportunities for casino and gaming sponsorships. New Rules Allow for Casino Logos on Team Jerseys In January, the NCAA Division I Cabinet approved a proposal allowing Division I sports programs to display commercial logos or patches on uniforms, equipment, and apparel during non-NCAA championship competitions. Effective August 1, Division I teams are permitted to feature up to three commercial logos during the regular season, with each patch limited to a maximum of four square inches. Under the NCAA’s Uniform Patch Policy, college athletics programs can now accept sponsorships from casinos, sportsbooks, and other gaming-related entities. Josh Whitman, athletics director at Illinois and chair of the NCAA Cabinet, said the decision comes as college sports enters a new era of greater financial benefits for student-athletes. He said the approval of jersey patch sponsorships reflects Division I members’ continued efforts to generate additional revenue and fully fund those benefits. Whitman also said the policy is consistent with the NCAA’s broader push to give schools and conferences greater flexibility in setting rules that align with their values and specific needs. He described the change as another step toward that approach, which would provide Division I members with more flexibility in their commercial partnerships. Only Two Schools So Far Will Promote Casino Through Their Uniforms While many college football players will wear sponsorships on their uniforms, only two schools so far have announced that they will don casino logos on their jerseys. In July, New Mexico State became the first school to sign a jersey patch sponsorship deal with Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino, a resort and casino located in the Sierra Blanca mountain range in New Mexico. Florida International University (FIU) this week became just the second Division I college to announce a jersey sponsorship deal with a casino by featuring a jersey patch promoting Miccosukee Casino & Resort. The tribal casino is owned and operated by the Miccosukee Tribe, one of two federally recognized tribes in Florida, alongside the Seminole Tribe. Unlike the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Miccosukee Tribe has not entered into a Class III gaming compact with the state, and as a result, it retains all gaming revenue generated from Class II electronic bingo machines, which resemble traditional slot machines. However, the tribe is not permitted to offer traditional slot machines, house-banked table games, or sports betting. FIU athletic director Scott Carr said the partnership goes beyond simply placing a logo on a jersey. He explained that it represents an alignment with a South Florida community whose history, values, and influence are deeply rooted in the region. He added that the partnership will celebrate their shared community while creating meaningful, long-term opportunities for both organizations. In other news about the NCAA, last month, the organization flagged a student worker at the University of Tennessee for potentially violating gambling rules. The student worker only placed a single wager to help a friend, falsely believing that prediction contracts were not considered sports wagers.