While Ohio State is posting record revenues of more than $300 million, a major shift in the athletic department’s financial structure has head coach Ryan Day urgently seeking additional income streams. Now, jersey sponsorships are at the top of the list.

“I know I’ve heard Ross [Bjork] talk about it where they’re in conversation now about getting something for the football team,” said 97.1 The Fan podcast host Eric Rieser. “That’s probably something that if they don’t sell it for just the football team, a company comes in and wants to just sponsor maybe a couple of teams with the jersey patch. 

But you’ve got to find new places to make money. There’s going to be an initial, ‘Oh, that looks like crap’ in terms of the jersey patch on Ohio State’s uniforms.”

The NCAA Division I Cabinet has officially opened the door to commercial patches. Starting August 1, teams in non-NCAA championship competitions can feature up to two sponsor logos on uniforms and apparel. Patches on jerseys can be no more than four square inches per logo. Additionally, an extra logo is also allowed on equipment during preseason and regular-season play.

As Ohio State explores this new revenue stream, AD Ross Bjork confirmed the school is actively seeking a partner for jersey patches, a practice where a brand pays for logo placement directly on the uniform. However, they stressed that Ryan Day-led Ohio State plans to roll this out “the right way.” While Rieser questioned the look of the Buckeyes’ jerseys with these patches, co-host Ryan Baker defended them. 

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“I disagree with that because we get patches for bowl games all the time,” he said. 

Jersey patches have become the newest hot topic in college sports, following a trend already embraced by pro leagues like the NBA, MLB, and NHL. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks both rocked commemorative jersey patches on Super Bowl Sunday. However, what works in the pro leagues feels far more jarring when applied to a blue-blood like Ohio State.

The Buckeyes’ jersey already features the Big Ten logo and Nike swoosh. Now that they are looking for a sponsorship partner, the Buckeyes’ athletic director has already issued stern instructions on the color scheme for the patches. Day has made his message loud and clear: no blue allowed at practice, just to hammer home how serious the Michigan game is.

When the Ohio State athletic director appeared on the Buckeye Talk podcast, he was asked whether a company rocking blue could make the cut for a Buckeyes jersey patch.

“We would say there could be an alternate color to that,” Bjork said. ” Let’s talk about a white color or a gray color.”

OSU is not the only school experimenting with this idea. Georgia football is another program looking at jersey patches as a way to increase revenue.

“It’s something we’re going to take a look at,” Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said after a UGA athletic board meeting on Jan. 30 on campus at the Georgia Center. “But we’re Georgia, we do things a certain way. We take pride and we love our partnerships with our key partners. It’s got to be the right fit for us. It’s got to make sense. We’re not just out there chasing dollars for the sake of chasing dollars. We want to do it the right way.”

While Ohio State searches for a sponsor, the LSU Tigers have already secured a deal. They signed a deal with Woodside Energy, an Australian oil conglomerate. The urgency to find a sponsor revved up as Day’s football team got hit with some tough news.

Ohio State curtails football program’s revenue share

The 2025 season ended on a disappointing note for the Ohio State football program. They could not defend the National Championship title and finished the season with a 12-2 overall record. That’s when they counted on the basketball program to salvage the athletic season. But they, too, got knocked out of the March Madness appearance with a 15-8 overall record.

With the tumultuous 2025 season finally coming to an end, the Buckeyes’ athletic director announced a change in the revenue-sharing model. 

“Basketball will have a bigger (revenue share) number next year. And then it’s about, again, the race to build out third-party NIL opportunities is here,” Bjork said. “We’ve done it on the football side, and we’re doing it on the basketball side. We’ve got to build that number up.”

While Ohio State is now enjoying the creation of a new income stream, football needs money that doesn’t have to be split internally. For jersey patches, revenue stays within the program. After a Natty miss, Day’s Buckeyes need leverage on the trail. The jersey patches can pay the bills, supporting NIL packages that might attract elite recruits. 

Ohio State’s athletic director made it clear the program is keeping its search close to home. They prefer partnering with a local brand rather than launching a nationwide mission.