UNLV athletics signs $11M jersey patch deal with Las Vegas company
UNLV has signed a five-year, $11 million jersey patch sponsorship deal with Las Vegas-based Acesso Biologics, the university announced Monday.
The deal, the first of its kind in college sports, comes ahead of the NCAA expecting to vote next month on allowing such sponsorships.
If jersey patch sponsorships are approved, the UNLV deal, which would feature Acesso patches on UNLV football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball jerseys, would begin Aug. 1.
“Acesso Biologics’ dedication to innovation and support of UNLV athletics mirrors our goals of excellence and community impact,” athletic director Erick Harper said in a statement. “As the NCAA and Mountain West conference move closer to allowing new avenues for revenue generation, Acesso stepped up in a big way.”
Continued partnership
Acesso already had a sponsorship deal with UNLV, having its logo displayed on the field and the south end zone field goal net at Allegiant Stadium this season. Continuing the field and net sponsorships are included in the sponsorship, according to the university.
“This is an exciting chapter for both UNLV and Acesso Biologics, and we view this partnership as the foundation for long-term collaboration and new opportunities,” Michael Aquino, CEO of Acesso Biologics, said in a statement.
Learfield Sports Properties, UNLV’s multimedia rights holder, brokered the patch sponsorship deal.
“We’re proud to partner with Acesso and UNLV in this transformative partnership that sets a new standard in college athletics in anticipation of jersey patch approvals by the NCAA,” Kim Damron, president of Learfield Sports Properties, said in a statement.
Budget woes
The multimillion-dollar deal comes as UNLV is looking to dig itself out of a nearly $27 million budget deficit within the athletic department.
In June, UNLV interim president Chris Heavy said he was confident in the school’s ability to balance the budget, saying the university would rely on increased ticket sales and up to $24.1 million from the Mountain West after UNLV agreed to stay in the conference instead of joining five other MW schools who left for the Pac-12.
The university has the use of premier sports facilities, such as the Fertitta Football Complex and Allegiant Stadium, but lacks the funding of Power Four conferences.
Landing such deals as the jersey patch can help the university bridge the funding gap, especially if there is continued success by its athletic programs.
UNLV football finished the regular season 10-3 and will play in a bowl game for the third consecutive season, a first in school history.
Games at Allegiant Stadium this season drew a combined announced attendance of 189,532, an average of 31,588 per game, according to UNLV.
“The crowds have been absolutely fantastic, but we always want more. We’re going to be greedy,” Harper told the Review-Journal last week.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
