The game has changed.
The emergence of the NCAA Transfer Portal and NIL will always take the cake as the foremost topics, but let's not forget that it wasn’t too long ago the NCAA approved the usage of jersey patches, adding another groundbreaking development to the ever-changing landscape.
Leave it to the Kansas Jayhawks, one of the biggest college brands around, to make the first revolutionary deal with Ripple. According to a release published by KU Athletics earlier Wednesday, Ripple was described as a “provider of blockchain-based enterprise solutions across traditional and digital finance.”
With this deal going through, the Jayhawks become the first major college program to hold a deal with a cryptocurrency, as an XRP patch will be printed on all KU jerseys.
Ripple’s CEO is KU alumnus Brad Garlinghouse. Garlinghouse took the post at Ripple in 2017, and this is not the first time he has played a role in helping the University, as he gave a $35 million gift to the school in support of the early stages of the infamous Gateway District.
Kansas head coaches fly in to support the recent deal
“This is an important day for all of Kansas Athletics,” quoted legendary head coach Bill Self in the same release.
“And we are certainly happy to be a part of that. It's a critical time in college athletics to be bold, and that's what is being accomplished with today's announcement. We will make sure our guys understand the significance of the partnership and why it is beneficial for them moving forward."
Flipping the script over to the gridiron, head coach Lance Leipold was quoted “Our football program is excited to proudly display the XRP logo on our jerseys. We're thankful to have such a strong relationship with Ripple through the leadership of CEO and proud Jayhawk, Brad Garlinghouse. We think this is a great partnership between two strong brands with bright futures.”
While figures of the deal have not been officially confirmed, so we will not publish them, there is no doubt that this is a major sign of the times in the NCAA.
For KU, this continues a recent trend of high-level sponsorships and gifts made to the university, as alumnus David Booth pledged a $300 million gift not even a full year ago.
When more is released about this deal, we will provide you with the details.
More Kansas News
Add us as a preferred source on Google