The Utes usher in a lucrative new era, debuting multi-million dollar jersey patches and pioneering helmet sponsorships.
The University of Utah is starting to step into a new era in college athletics. There are changes coming to the Utes' football uniforms just days before the 2026 season starts.
The first move falls in line with sweeping changes around the country. Utah announced its first jersey patch for football starting this year. University of Utah Health has agreed to be the sponsor in a deal worth millions, per reports. This isn't the first time 'U Health' has been featured for Utes football.
Utah had a deal in place last year with University of Utah Health for its on-field logo at Rice-Eccles Stadium, which was adjacent to the Big 12 Conference logos on both 25-yard lines. This moves the Utes into a rare category as one of the few in the Big 12 with a jersey patch for football. BYU previously announced a deal with Entrata, a property management software company founded by BYU students. Some would've loved to see Crumble Cookies' pink logo on the Cougars jerseys. Kansas rolled out a patch with XRP and Oklahoma struck a deal with Osage Nation. Utah is now the fourth school to announce a jersey patch deal in the conference.
Right after the jersey sponsorship was announced, Utah added another element which is one of the smartest thus far. Utah and ALKEME, a top-16 insurance agency and one of the fastest-growing insurance brokerages in the country, announced today a multi-year partnership to feature the company logo across the bumpers on the back of the Utes' football helmets.
These two new additions will debut during Utah's season opener against Idaho on Thursday night. The ALKEME sponsorship is believed to be the first equipment-only partnership in the country.
The equipment sponsorship category is part of a broader sponsorship which was allowed by the NCAA on Aug 1. This allows Division I teams to place up to two additional commercial logos or patches on their uniforms and apparel and one additional commercial logo on equipment during the preseason and regular season. This equipment sponsorship also extends to the other Utah teams that wear helmets.
Both deals are a benefit to Utah, who agreed to a private equity deal with Otro Capital ahead of the 2026 football season. While the full scope of the deal puts the Utes in a position to have a bigger return on investment in the coming years, this was a lifeline for Utah athletic director Mark Harlan and president Taylor Randall, who deserve more credit for securing a reported $500 million.
With this model, Utah is able to use the funding for more resources past NIL and rosters. Adding U Health and ALKEME does the same thing. The Utes are working toward turning creative ideas into million dollar sponsorships.
No. 21 Utah opens the season on Thursday night against Idaho (9 p.m. ET, ESPNU).
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