The University of Connecticut’s Division of Athletics recently announced a first for the school’s championship basketball programs: a jersey patch sponsorship with UConn Health.
“UConn Health has long been a trusted partner of UConn Athletics, and we’re thrilled to take this relationship to the next level,” said UConn Athletic Director David Benedict in a press statement. “Having the UConn Health name on our men’s and women’s basketball uniforms is a proud moment for us, and we look forward to continuing to work together for our student-athletes and communities across the state.”
The UConn Health logo will appear on the UConn men’s and women’s basketball teams’ jerseys beginning this season at all home, away and neutral-site contests according to the Division of Athletics. The patch will be seen alongside the Big East conference mark and Nike’s “swoosh” logo.
To coincide with the announcement, a cinematic video revealing the jersey designs was released on UConn Athletics’ social media. The caption for the video reads “Longtime partners are enhancing their partnership,” with a handshake emoji.
The UConn Health logo patch takes the spot of a simplified American Flag emblem, seen on prior jersey designs. The change is the first ever on-jersey sponsorship for UConn basketball teams, following the NCAA’s ruling in January which allowed the practice after years of on-uniform advertising in professional sports.
The rule change “reflects the ongoing commitment of Division 1 members to drive additional revenues and fully fund [increased financial benefits for student-athletes],” said University of Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman, who chairs the NCAA cabinet, at the time.
The new NCAA rules allow all Division 1 teams to place two “additional commercial logos” on their uniforms and apparel and one logo on equipment during the preseason and regular season, with an added logo on uniforms for conference championships. Each patch is limited to a maximum of four square inches per logo.
A number of colleges have taken advantage of the new ad space, including deals valued at tens of millions of dollars for patch sponsorships at football powerhouses Notre Dame and Ohio State. In the Big East conference, similar deals were revealed at DePaul, Providence College and Xavier.
It is not yet known if UConn or the Big East will explore additional jersey patches for basketball or other sports.
In addition to the uniform branding, UConn Health will also enjoy increased exposure through arena signage and more radio advertising during games, the announcement said. The deal represents an expansion of the institutionally related healthcare system’s longtime support of UConn teams; UConn Health has been the medical care provider for all of the UConn athletic programs for 30 years.
According to the announcement, UConn Athletics will also “identify additional opportunities to support UConn Health’s community health and wellness initiatives.”
“UConn’s championship basketball programs and UConn Health’s award-winning care both reflect what can be achieved through talent, teamwork and dedication,” said Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, CEO of the UConn Health system, in a statement. “We are proud to see our name on the uniforms and look forward to building on this partnership to promote health and wellness across Connecticut.”
The partnership follows an ad campaign for UConn Health’s Orthopedic and Sports Medicine specialty, including a television commercial featuring UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma. That commercial, which ran during the NCAA basketball tournament earlier this year, includes the coach describing the UConn Health team as “unsung heroes.”
“Our team doctors, they’re the best in the country at what they do, and I trust them implicitly and so do our players,” Auriemma’s voice-over says in the advertisement, over video clips of UConn basketball highlights and UConn Health doctors.
While integrated as part of the university’s academic initiatives, the UConn Health system operates as a distinct entity with separate staff, budgets and leadership structures. The system is primarily based at John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington, and operates a number of specialized and general care facilities statewide — including an urgent care location near the main UConn campus in Storrs-Mansfield.
Earlier this year, state regulators allowed UConn Health to operate Waterbury Hospital, and two other facilities — Bristol Hospital and Day Kimball Medical Center in Putnam — are on track to join the system as part of the “Connecticut Healthcare System, powered by UConn Health.”
The UConn Health jersey patches will make their debut during UConn’s first pre-season men’s and women’s basketball games against Syracuse at Mohegan Sun Arena. The women play at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 12, and the men start at 7 p.m. on Oct. 13. Both games will be televised on NBC Sports Boston with pre-game coverage on WFSB Channel 3.