A CSMG perspective on two of the most valuable assets in college sports
College athletics is going through its biggest commercial shift in decades. Under the House v. NCAA settlement, schools now share revenue directly with athletes, and at the power conference level that can mean more than $20 million a year in new costs. At the same time, the NCAA began allowing commercial jersey patches on August 1, 2026, permitting up to two on uniforms and creating a new category of inventory that travels with every team to every game, broadcast, social media post, game day program, and highlight.
Together, those changes are forcing schools to rethink how they package and price their most visible assets, from stadium and arena names to fields, courts, practice facilities and now the jersey itself. Brands, in turn, are rethinking what they should expect in return, and how to prove that a deal delivered a strong return on investment.
Those questions are at the center of a new chapter by CSMG Co-Founder and President of Business Intelligence and Media Ray Katz, "Emerging High Visibility Entitlement Assets: Naming Rights and College Jersey Patches," written for Sponsorship Accountability: A Roadmap for Sponsorship Marketing Success (Second Edition), from the Marketing Accountability Standards Board, which develops standards for measuring marketing's impact. The chapter draws on lessons from decades of pro and college naming rights deals, from Wrigley Field to Citi Field to Acrisure Stadium, and on CSMG's own work valuing and selling jersey patch inventory for college programs. Here are the key takeaways.
Naming rights are now enterprise partnerships
A name on a building is no longer the whole deal. Today's strongest deals combine hospitality, media and digital inventory, first-party fan data, NIL programs, and campus activation. Citi Field is a model. Citi uses in-venue offers to turn Mets fans into Citibank customers, and hospitality to acquire new commercial customers.
Revenue sharing is pushing schools to monetize more
To cover athlete compensation, schools are looking well beyond naming rights for stadiums and arenas, to fields, courts, tunnels, performance centers, hospitality clubs, and even conference naming rights.
Jersey patches are a different kind of asset
Unlike a stadium sign, a patch travels. It shows up at every road game, neutral site event, and bowl game, and in nearly every photo, highlight, and social clip. Patches deliver the most value when they fit the school's look and come bundled with naming rights, NIL ambassador programs, and digital content, rather than being sold as standalone signage.
Affinity and identity drive college value
College fans and alumni have a lifelong connection to their schools. That brings stronger recall, access to donors and alumni, and recruiting value. It also raises the stakes. Schools increasingly prefer local or alumni-led companies, and they use "presented by" structures to protect historic names. Those are lessons from fan backlash, like when Heinz Field became Acrisure Stadium.
Measurement has to match the investment
A naming rights or patch deal should be judged against clear, prioritized objectives. The chapter looks at four areas: sales and customer value, audited on-screen exposure, other media assets enhanced by equity transfer, and movement in brand key performance indicators, such as unaided and aided awareness and consideration. Raw exposure numbers should never be taken at face value, and must be scientifically and objectively discounted for wearout.
What's next
Expect more data-driven deals, more flexible contracts, more scrutiny of who benefits, and growing interest in women's sports as premium inventory. College athletics is moving from a sponsorship-supported model to a fully commercial media, entertainment, and data business, and that change is still in its early innings.
CSMG advises schools, conferences, and brands on naming rights and jersey patch valuation, packaging, pricing, media exposure analytics, and overall asset valuation. Sponsorship Accountability (Second Edition) is available on Amazon HERE.
