Kansas Athletics and Ripple Forge Groundbreaking Partnership: XRP Jersey Patches and Beyond
The University of Kansas is set to unveil a groundbreaking five-year partnership with digital finance company Ripple, featuring the cryptocurrency XRP on jersey patches across all Kansas athletics uniforms. The deal, brokered by Learfield’s KU arm, Jayhawk Sports Properties, is one of the most lucrative jersey patch-centric agreements in college sports. Kansas AD Travis Goff emphasized the opportunity to showcase the story and values of Ripple beyond just a logo on jerseys.
The collaboration between Kansas and Ripple was facilitated by Goff's relationship with Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, a Kansas alum. The deal will extend beyond jersey patches to include branding in athletics venues, digital properties, and event signage. Ripple will also support financial and technology education programs for KU athletes and assist in job placement and internships for Kansas graduates in the technology industry.
Goff acknowledged the innovative nature of the partnership, describing it as more "emerging" than controversial or risky. Learfield EVP Andrew Wheeler highlighted the openness of college athletics to unconventional partnerships, citing Ripple and XRP as examples of outside-the-box thinking. Kansas joins Oklahoma State as the second Big 12 school to announce a jersey patch deal, with Learfield playing a significant role in facilitating such agreements nationwide.
The KU-Ripple partnership follows the Big 12's announcement of a league-wide jersey patch deal with Monster Energy, which is expected to provide around $1 million annually to Big 12 schools. While the Monster deal includes protections and exclusivity in the energy drink category, member institutions are still allowed to pursue their own jersey patch agreements. The collaboration between Kansas and Ripple represents a forward-thinking approach to sports sponsorship and highlights the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics partnerships.