Last week, we saw the proliferation of the sponsorship phenomenon. Could it hit Central New York as well?
Last week, both Ohio State and Notre Dame sent shockwaves through the college sports world when both revealed lucrative jersey patch sponsorship deals that will pay between $17 and $20 million.
While both Ohio State and Notre Dame are national brands - in multiple sports - there's certainly a chance that this trend could filter down to other schools, including Syracuse.
Let's take a look a little deeper at some of the remaining questions, and what all this could mean for SU.
Talk to me about the money
Well, in today's day and age, athletic departments need every dollar they can get. Those dollars help support a lot of things, from NIL opportunities to the simple funding of non-revenue sports.
If you don't want SU to start folding programs in the name of bettering football and men's basketball, then more dollars is always relevant.
Syracuse Orange quarterback Steve Angeli (9) takes a snap near offensive lineman Joe Cruz (78) playing the Clemson Tigers during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Ken Ruinard/GREENVILLE NEWS-USA TODAY Network via Imagn ImagesMore on the money
The Ohio State deal, in particular, references that the sponsor (JP Morgan Chase) will also provide direct NIL opportunities for athletes, meaning there's a chance for some very big company to pay very important athletes - or recruits.
For a school that has seemingly struggled to raise its NIL profile over the last few years, that would surely be an attractive thing for Syracuse. That's a built-in NIL pipeline for some of your top players.
How about the logistics of it all?
1) Well, these patches will appear on the jersey of every team at Ohio State and Notre Dame, and they presumably will at Syracuse also, should a deal like this happen.
2) Are the patches breaking the tradition of college sports? Yes.
3) Are the patches ugly? Probably not.
We, as people, have a fascinating ability to adapt to things. We're already used to seeing patches and logos on almost everything anyways, so we'll get over this too.
Syracuse uniforms are already adorned with Nike logos and ACC logos as it is. We also see NCAA patches when it comes time for NCAA Tournaments. This is already happening, so you might as well make some important money out of it.
What about other opportunities?
As noted by Sports Marketing insider Josh Strickland on social media, this could also open up other money-making opportunities for Syracuse. If some big company comes in and gobbles up a jersey patch sponsorship, maybe they will leave the traditional sponsorship world, opening up ad inventory for local businesses that can't afford to spend at the highest level.
That would allow for extra money to flow into the program, which as we said, is always necessary.
