This story has been updated.
Hoosiers fans may soon see corporate logos on the playing field and floor during IU football and basketball home games.
IU Athletics said in a press release that it was partnering with IU Sports Properties to sell space for logos at the 25-yard line at Memorial Stadium and at each end of the court at Assembly Hall.
There will only be one brand partnership for each of the locations. The spots are being sold immediately and won’t be available again for multiple years.
According to an article by USA Today, on-field logo deals could generate schools like IU between $3.8 and $4.2 million annually. The press release said IU Men’s basketball games average over 10 million viewers while football averages over seven million.
NCAA changed the rules this year to allow corporate logos on the field for regular-season games. That hasn’t stopped other colleges such from breaking the rule before, but IU Athletics cited the change in its press release.
It said the decision will help IU meet “the growing need for intercollegiate athletic partners to identify and secure new avenues and levels of funding in support of student-athletes.”
A settlement this year between the NCAA and former student athletes opened the door for universities to pay their players directly.
College athletes have been able to make money from name, image, likeness deals since 2021, but the new rules for profit sharing introduce compensation as a factor in the competition for student talent.
Athletics Director Scott Dolson told IndyStar in June that IU planned to move forward with revenue sharing.
IU Athletics spokesperson Jeff Keag declined our request for an interview.
