Jersey sponsors are growing in popularity throughout sports. The NBA and NFL are awash with sponsored patches. Even professional wrestling has tripled down on the branding game. And now, the Arkansas Razorbacks have decided to get in on the action.
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The SEC outfit has teamed up with Tyson Foods in a mega five-year deal. The Razorbacks announced that the agreement would be "the most comprehensive partnership in college sports history." As part of the deal, Tyson Foods will become ubiquitous with Razorbacks football.
Here's what's included with the full-scale branding package, per the Razorback's website:
- Tyson Foods will now be the "official protein" for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
- They will have a jersey patch placement on both men's and women's jerseys (all sports).
- The Tyson Foods company logo will be placed on all sporting fields and courts
- There will be media backdrops
- Student-athletes will have access to brand ambassador programs
"Having Tyson Foods incorporated across our varsity teams and venues sends a powerful message about the caliber of our programs and the type of talent we can bring to the University," Hunter Yurachek, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics at the University of Arkansas, said in a statement.
The Tyson Food Patches Will Look Ugly on Razorbacks Jerseys
Somewhere along the line, the NASCAR-ification of college and professional sports got out of control. Jerseys are no longer something fans wish to collect in the hope of creating lifelong memories from a successful season. Instead, the highest bidder turns them into human-worn billboards to consistently grab the attention of millions of sports fans.
One good thing about the Tyson Foods logo is that the red middle will blend in with the Razorbacks' colors. However, the yellow trim, along with the bold font, which will likely sit diagonal from the SEC logo, will clash with the rest of the jersey.
They will be an eyesore.
On the plus side, it's deals like this that ensure college athletes can make life-changing money without entering the professional ranks. And for that reason, brand partnerships make sense.
Unfortunately, advertisers now shove ads down our throats at every turn, tarnishing the sanctity of sporting venues. And as the money continues to flow, it's only going to get worse.
