Arizona football, basketball to don Monster Energy jersey patches as part of $1M deal

FRISCO, Texas — The first jersey patches for Arizona football and basketball have been revealed for the upcoming year, and they come with a big payday. 

The Wildcat teams will don co-branded Monster Energy and Big 12 jersey patches, along with on-field and on-court logos as part of a multiyear agreement announced by the conference Tuesday on the opening day of Big 12 Media Days at Ford Center.

The deal will pay each of the 16 Big 12 schools around $1 million annually. 

Monster Energy, the popular energy drink brand, is the "entitlement partner" of the Big 12 for the football, men's basketball and women's basketball seasons, the league announced. 

The regular seasons for the aforementioned sports will be known as "Monster Energy Big 12 Football" and "Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball."

"This is an important partnership for the Big 12 as we continue to grow our commercial business," Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said. "Monster Energy is a global, culturally relevant brand that aligns with who we are and where we're going. Together, we will bring the Big 12 to new audiences, expand our reach, and deliver innovative experiences for our fans."

Monster Energy CEO Mitch Covington said "partnering with the Big 12 continues that tradition of aligning with great sports teams and organizations committed to excellence."

"Commissioner Brett Yormark and his teams at the Big 12 Conference are always going to be on the forefront of college athletics and we want to support and be part of it," Covington added in a news release.

The Big 12's co-branded jersey patches with Monster Energy will replace the original conference logo on jerseys and won't have any influence on future jersey patches, according to a spokesperson from the UA.

None of the Big 12 schools currently has a jersey patch partnership. Wisconsin recently announced Culver's as a jersey sponsor. Arkansas (Tyson Foods), Memphis (FedEx) and LSU (Woodside Energy) are other schools with jersey patch deals. 

In November, when the UA announced its 20-year, $60 million agreement with Casino Del Sol for naming rights to Arizona Stadium, Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois said it's conceivable for the UA to have Casino Del Sol jersey patches. 

In a statement released to the Star, the UA said "Arizona Sports Enterprises is actively engaged in securing potential partnerships for our jersey patches and continues to have productive discussions, which speaks to the power of the Arizona brand and our success across all sports."

Big 12 Media Days, also sponsored by Monster Energy, continue on ESPNU and ESPN+ on Wednesday at 9 a.m. Arizona head coach Brent Brennan will hold a press conference to start the final day.