The University of Kansas athletic department, Kansas Athletics, has inked a groundbreaking five-year sponsorship agreement with fintech company Ripple. Starting in fall 2026, the XRP logo will appear on the game jerseys of all university teams, making XRP the first cryptocurrency brand to be directly integrated into the uniforms of a major NCAA Division I athletic program.
The deal, reported by Sports Business Journal, is one of the most lucrative patch-placement agreements in U.S. college sports history. It comes after the NCAA ruled in January 2025 that Division I teams could begin placing corporate logos on jerseys starting in August 2025. Ripple’s move establishes a new precedent for crypto in collegiate athletics, with the XRP patch appearing exclusively on official competition gear for sports including men’s and women’s golf. The patch design will be adapted to match team colors—crimson, blue, or white—to complement existing Adidas jerseys, while practice and travel uniforms remain logo-free.
Beyond the visual branding, Ripple will fully fund financial literacy programs for student-athletes, covering both traditional banking and digital asset education. Fans will be able to purchase official replica jerseys without the crypto patch, but can add the XRP logo for free at the Jayhawk Outfitters store. The partnership also has deep personal roots: Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse is a University of Kansas alumnus who previously donated $35 million to his alma mater.
“Ripple recognizes the unique reach and passion of the Jayhawk community, and we’re proud they have chosen Kansas Athletics as a premier platform to introduce XRP to millions of sports fans,” said Travis Goff, director of athletics at the University of Kansas. Garlinghouse added, “With the lawsuit behind us, now is the time to remind people what makes XRP unique, useful and worth paying attention to.”
The announcement comes one day after the Big 12 Conference disclosed a similar patch integration with Monster Energy, underscoring the trend of commercialization across college sports. For the crypto industry, the deal represents a return to mainstream American sports through long-term educational and commercial initiatives at the collegiate level.
