Brett Yormark and the Big 12 are seemingly bought in on jersey patches, which just doubled as the league intends to add a second sponsorship patch, Principal Financial, for the upcoming men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and more.
Sports Business Journal reported the patch news first, as the league signed a “multiyear deal (seeing) Principal further integrate into Big 12 championship events, along with other conference-owned assets.” This collaboration extends to Olympic sport championships, like the Big 12 Track and Field Championships, as the Big 12 adds another corporate partner to its catalog.
Currently, the Big 12 and Monster have an extensive partnership across uniforms, field/court logos, and in the media ether, with titles like “Monster Energy Big 12 Football” in full effect. The Principal partnership appears to be for postseason events in hoops, and primarily outside of football – the Monster deal extends to basketball, but it’s unclear whether it’s just for the regular season.
Yormark and the Big 12 released the news in an official league statement on Thursday:
“The Big 12’s championship events showcase the depth, tradition and competitive excellence of our Conference,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “We’re excited to welcome Principal and look forward to creating new opportunities for the company to connect with our student-athletes, member institutions and fans.”
“Championship moments are powerful because they represent far more than what happens on the day of competition. They reflect preparation, trusted support, and the determination to keep working toward a goal,” said Beth Wood, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Principal. “Through our strategic partnership with the Big 12, Principal will celebrate that journey across women’s and men’s sports while expanding the ways we connect with people through college athletics.”
At first glance, it’s safe to assume both the Monster and Principal logos will be on display for the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. Considering the Monster and Big 12 logos are already integrated, it’s hard to imagine they’d switch anything around at the last minute when adding a patch is easier than removing one – plus we’re talking about finding 16 distinct jersey patches.
Yormark has long said the Big 12 is open for business, and this sort of collaboration is the result of a conference that needs to keep up with the high-spending demands of the Power Four. As a basketball powerhouse, the league’s in a unique position to deal from a comfortable seat; Although, the Monster deal received quite a bit of heat for just how little the Big 12 net in the end.
The Principal patches are scheduled to debut at this year’s Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball championships in Kansas City, Missouri.
