Notre Dame Athletics has secured a landmark six-year partnership with SoFi Technologies, featuring an 18 to 20 million dollar annual agreement that places the financial services brand as the first non-apparel jersey patch sponsor across all Fighting Irish sports starting in the 2026-27 academic year.
College sports marketing crossed a massive financial threshold as the University of Notre Dame and SoFi Technologies announced a multi-year collaboration on Tuesday. The agreement makes SoFi the official financial services partner of Notre Dame Athletics and places its corporate logo on Fighting Irish uniforms across every sport. Industry sources told Yahoo Sports that the six-year contract is worth an average of $18 million to $20 million annually.
The staggering figure edges out the previous high-water mark set earlier the same day by Ohio State, which announced a partnership with JPMorgan Chase worth approximately $17 million annually.
Protecting the Iconic Notre Dame Uniform and Stadium Aesthetic
“We wanted to do this in the Notre Dame style of doing things. Think of the 2024 season, we had patches on our jerseys almost 25% of the time with all the bowl games. We’ve crossed that Rubicon. But this relationship with SoFi isn’t just a patch on the jersey. It’s about helping all our student-athletes.”
Photo: USA Today
Pete Bevacqua, University of Notre Dame Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics, via Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated noted that the deal leaves the essential visual elements of Fighting Irish sports untouched. The gold helmets, blue home jerseys, clean road whites, and gold pants remain free of extra branding.
Funding the “4 for Forever” Promise and Walk-On Scholarships
Beyond the uniform patch, the agreement injects millions into the school’s athlete support infrastructure. SoFi will establish an annual $1.4 million grant to bolster Notre Dame’s “4 for Forever” program, which funds scholarships across 26 varsity sports while providing financial education, career development, and networking resources.
Photo: Notre Dame Athletics
The partnership also introduces the SoFi Champions Scholarship. This comprehensive program awards a one-year full-tuition scholarship to one male and one female walk-on athlete annually. Recipients will be chosen based on demonstrated ambition, resilience, leadership, and service. Additionally, SoFi will install a student-athlete services hub on campus to deliver personalized financial planning tools and guidance.
“Our ‘4 for Forever’ promise at Notre Dame is paramount to providing the best student-athlete experience in the country. SoFi shares in this commitment to developing strong, ambitious leaders who are set up for success at Notre Dame and beyond. Together, our relationship will create lasting value for our student-athletes and their families for generations to come.”
Pete Bevacqua, University of Notre Dame Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics, via Notre Dame Athletics
The Independent Brand Power Driving Record Payouts
The agreement highlights the unique market leverage Notre Dame maintains as an independent football program without conference media distribution shares to fall back on. SoFi CEO Anthony Noto pointed to the university’s exclusive NBC broadcast agreement and nationwide fan base as primary drivers for the investment.
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“Notre Dame has spent generations developing champions in the classroom and on the field. The grit, discipline and determination of Notre Dame’s student-athletes reflect the same ambition we see in our members every day. We are proud to partner with Notre Dame Athletics to help inspire the next generation and create opportunities that will shape their financial futures.”
Anthony Noto, CEO of SoFi, via Notre Dame Athletics
The arrangement was brokered with assistance from Notre Dame Global Partnerships, a joint venture formed in 2018 between Legends Global and JMI Sports to manage multimedia rights and branding services for the university. With the House v.
