​The Big 12’s newly announced expanded partnership with Monster Energy, revealed on Tuesday, has been described as the first of its kind in college sports. Yet it has also attracted criticism from several industry insiders who worry the deal may undervalue the conference and could pose challenges for school-specific assets down the line. According to Front Office Sports, the agreement comprises three main elements and would generate about $20 million annually for member schools, roughly $1 million per institution.
First, every Big 12 football program and all men’s and women’s basketball teams, along with the corresponding fields and courts, will feature co-branded patches. This marks what is believed to be the first conference-wide jersey patch deal since the NCAA began permitting such partnerships. Second, the league will brand its football and men’s and women’s basketball regular seasons as “Monster Energy Big 12 Football” and “Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball,” respectively. Third, Monster is obligated to incorporate Big 12 assets in its marketing across more than 100 countries where the brand advertises, delivering intangible exposure for the conference on a global scale.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark told FOS that the deal was the product of a year-long process that involved discussions with dozens of national brands. He said the final arrangement with Monster was ideal when considering both the incremental economics for the conference and Monster’s financial commitment to activating and marketing the Big 12 to new audiences both domestically and internationally.
Nevertheless, an industry source called the agreement “objectively a terrible deal,” arguing that the value of Big 12 schools was far greater than the roughly $1 million annual payout each school would receive, or potentially even less. Another observer contended that the value of school-specific jersey patch deals with programs of the Big 12’s stature would typically be worth several millions of dollars per year. It’s important to note, however, that the jersey patch and field/court logo element under this deal isn’t a direct proxy for school-specific agreements. A school-private patch would let a brand place its logo independently on a team’s jersey, whereas the Monster arrangement involves a co-branded patch that also features the Big 12 branding.
Additionally, the arrangement extends beyond a $20 million annual fee. One source indicated that Monster will assume conversion costs and has pledged to invest in “dollar for dollar” marketing efforts to promote the conference both at home and abroad, expanding the deal’s footprint beyond simple annual payments. Another potential concern raised by industry participants is that brands may be reluctant to invest heavily in plastering logos on jerseys, fields, or courts if those inventories are shared with other brands. “There is no scenario in which a deal like this doesn’t have some impact on an individual school’s asset rights,” noted Craig Sloan, CEO of Playfly, a multimedia rights holder that helps execute sponsorships at the school level, including jersey patches, to improve search engine optimization.
In sum, while the Monster Energy partnership has been lauded for its breadth and international marketing ambitions, observers remain divided on its valuation and long-term implications for school-owned branding and asset rights within the Big 12’s broader sponsorship ecosystem.