Notre Dame announced a multi-year patch deal with SoFi Technologies on Tuesday, making the financial technology giant the first non-apparel corporation to have its logo appear on Fighting Irish athletic uniforms.
Just a day after Ohio State signed a similar $17 million pact with JPMorgan Chase, Notre Dame‘s deal, reportedly worth up to $20 million annually, became the most lucrative sponsorship of its kind.
A corporate logo appearing on the blue and gold uniforms of Notre Dame would not only have been far-fetched but also outright illegal just last year.
In January, the Division I Cabinet of the NCAA approved a plan allowing corporate sponsorships to appear on the jerseys of collegiate athletic programs.
The decision follows a trend practiced for years by European soccer clubs and brought to American professional sports by the NBA in 2017, followed by the NHL and MLB in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
The deal with SoFi extends beyond the jersey, as the San Francisco-based company will also establish a new $1.4 million fund to benefit the Irish athletic department’s “4 For Forever” campaign. The program supports scholarships and career development efforts for student-athletes across the University’s 26 varsity sports. SoFi is now the official financial services partner for Notre Dame Athletics.
“Our ‘4 for Forever’ promise at Notre Dame is paramount to providing the best student-athlete experience in the country,” Irish athletics director Pete Bevacqua said in a release. “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.”
Bevacqua has been vocal in recent months about how the Irish can remain competitive amidst sweeping changes in collegiate athletics. The deal with SoFi is another acknowledgment of changing times and the University’s willingness to part with tradition for significant financial gains.
A SoFi-sponsored scholarship, also part of the landmark deal, will reward a full year of tuition to two walk-on student-athletes — one from a men’s team and one from a women’s. According to a release from Notre Dame Athletics, the scholarship recognizes athletes who “exemplify ambition, resilience, leadership and service.“
“The grit, discipline, and determination of Notre Dame’s student-athletes reflect the same ambition we see in our members every day,” SoFi CEO Anthony Noto said in a release. “We are proud to partner with Notre Dame Athletics to help inspire the next generation and create opportunities that will shape their financial futures.”
The white SoFi patch is expected to appear on all varsity uniforms. The first competitive match it will be visible for is the women’s soccer team’s Aug. 12 season opener against Samford at Alumni Stadium.
It will make its first appearance on Irish football jerseys a month later, when Marcus Freeman’s program opens its 2026 campaign at Lambeau Field for a Shamrock Series tilt against Wisconsin — which will sport the logo of fast-food restaurant Culver’s on its own jerseys.
