The University of Arizona is putting a corporate logo on its basketball jerseys for the first time in school history, and the brand getting that real estate is Carvana, the Tempe-based online used car retailer. The deal makes Carvana the official jersey patch partner for both the men's and women's Wildcats basketball programs, stitched onto the right shoulder of the uniforms just above the Nike logo.
Arizona Athletics and Carvana announced the landmark agreement Friday, according to University of Arizona Athletics, which called it the program's first jersey patch sponsorship ever. The agreement goes well beyond a logo on fabric: it designates Carvana as the exclusive auto partner of Arizona Athletics and names the company an official University of Arizona partner. The partnership was struck in collaboration with Arizona Sports Enterprises, the school's multimedia rights arm, per the university's athletics department.
The Phoenix Business Journal also covered the arrangement, which folds in campus and community initiatives beyond the basketball court. Carvana, which operates as an online auto retailer based in Tempe, has built its brand around vending-machine car pickups and doorstep delivery, and the Wildcats deal gives the company a new foothold with Tucson sports fans.
What the Partnership Covers Beyond the Jersey
The sponsorship footprint stretches across McKale Center branding, digital and social content, radio inventory, ESPN+ placements, game sponsorships, and fan hospitality opportunities, per the athletics department's announcement. Carvana will also serve as presenting sponsor of the Red-Blue Showcase, Arizona's preseason intrasquad event, along with the accompanying Red-Blue post-event concert.
The deal carries a Name, Image and Likeness component as well. Carvana will work with selected men's and women's basketball players on content and promotional initiatives tied to NIL, the university's athletics department said. The agreement is reportedly worth $12.75 million over four seasons.
Jerseys Will Carry Two Patches This Season
Carvana isn't the only new logo appearing on Arizona uniforms this season. The Wildcats will also wear a Monster Energy patch on the left shoulder, a result of that company's partnership with the Big 12 Conference, according to Arizona Sports. That leaves Wildcats jerseys with sponsor marks on both shoulders — Carvana on the right, above the Nike logo, and Monster Energy on the left.
The move follows a broader shift in college athletics rules. The NCAA's Division I Cabinet approved a proposal allowing Division I programs to place additional commercial logos or patches on uniforms, equipment and apparel, according to the NCAA. That approval opened the door for schools to begin signing jersey-patch deals starting with the 2026-27 athletic year, per the Houston Chronicle, which reported that more than 50 schools had already agreed to similar arrangements as of September.
How Arizona's Deal Stacks Up Nationally
Jersey patches have quickly turned into a new revenue category across college sports, with terms varying widely by school, sport, and NCAA championship eligibility. SportsBusiness Journal notes that publicly disclosed figures are often scarce, pointing to LSU's multimillion-dollar patch agreement with Woodside Energy as one example where specific terms were never made public, according to SportsBusiness Journal.
Other programs have been far more transparent about the money involved. Notre Dame's agreement with SoFi is reported at $18 million to $20 million per year, per Front Office Sports. Illinois locked in a five-year, $30 million arrangement with Busey Bank covering eight Fighting Illini teams, while Ohio State's reported deal with JPMorganChase is valued at $17 million annually across all 36 of its athletic programs, according to Front Office Sports. Carvana, Arizona's new sponsor, is based in Tempe.
Alkeme pays an average of about $1.85 million for McKale Center naming rights, according to SportsBusiness Journal's reporting on the university's naming-rights arrangements.
