Arkansas announced this week that Tyson Foods is paying to have a patch on every Razorback’s uniform, and 90 percent of the money from the deal will go to athlete NIL deals. Arkansas is the second power conference school — after LSU — to announce its jersey patch sponsor since the NCAA voted in January to allow them.

We’re going to see dozens more of these deals in the next few months, so today I took a shot at guessing which patches will adorn the jerseys of each power conference football team this fall.

Alabama: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes has a massive plant in Tuscaloosa, and it already spends significantly to advertise during college and NFL games. This would put its brand on one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in college football, and it would help politically in an area where it builds cars. (Plus, Alabama’s former coach sells the heck out Mercedes as an investor in a network of dealerships.)

Arizona: Raytheon
One of Tucson’s biggest employers scores some political points.

Arizona State: Invisalign
Arizona State already works with the teeth-straightening company. Imagine the smiles on the players if Invisalign starts paying their wages.

Arkansas: Tyson Foods
The Razorbacks announced this partnership this week, and it made perfect sense. Tyson is a local company with global reach, and chairman John Tyson is one of the athletic department’s biggest donors.

Auburn: Yellawood
Auburn grad Tim Cook is Apple’s CEO, so perhaps there’s a chance. But if Apple doesn’t feel the need to advertise on a jersey, the Yella Fella can fill the void. Great Southern Wood Preserving Inc. founder Jimmy Rane is an Auburn trustee and longtime Auburn athletics booster.

Baylor: Dr. Pepper
My College Football Enquirer co-host Steven Godfrey suggested Baylor grads Chip and Joanna Gaines use their Magnolia company to buy the rights to the patches. (The shiplap helmets would be spectacular.) But instead I went with a Waco-born brand that already spends a ton on college football sponsorships. D.J. Lagway, get ready to meet the citizens of Fansville.

Boston College: Dunkin’
Andy and Ari On3 listener Justin suggested this perfect match. Read on to the Wake Forest entry for Justin’s incredible idea for a new rivalry trophy.

BYU: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
BYU is owned by the Mormon church, and its mission is to spread the church’s teachings across the world. So it would make sense that the church would take the opportunity to have its name prominently featured in every minute of every broadcast of BYU’s athletic events. It’s in the church’s interests for BYU to have really good teams, so this would allow the church to help fund the cost of the rosters. If the church doesn’t want to do it, Crumbl Cookies it is.

Cal: OluKai
Cal coach Tosh Lupoi explained how OluKai co-founder and Cal grad Dan McInerny helped Lupoi’s quest to locate Cal QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele during Lupoi’s first day on the job. Maybe now it’s time for Cal to get some of that sandal money.

Cincinnati: Fifth Third Bank
While it would be more fun if the Bearcats wore Skyline Chili or Graeter’s Ice Cream patches, the smart money is on more money. And this Cincinnati-based bank has more.

Clemson: Chick-fil-a
The company is based in Georgia, but chairman Dan Cathy is a member of Clemson’s cornerstone program, which consists of donors who have given $2.5 million or more to the athletic department.

Colorado: Buffalo Wild Wings
When the Hankster calls, you listen…

Duke: Duke Energy
James B. Duke — the school’s namesake — led a group that built a system of lakes and dams along the Catawba River to generate electricity. That project has grown into a massive company that powers parts of seven states.

Florida: Gatorade
The whale would be AI company NVIDIA. Co-founder Chris Malachowsky graduated from Florida. But the industry-leading sports drink invented with the help of Florida’s football program feels like the most natural fit.

Florida State: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Spanx founder Sara Blakely graduated from Florida State, but she might choose to advertise elsewhere to hit her target market. The school that already has a deep relationship with the Seminole Tribe of Florida could naturally partner with a business run by the tribe. Would a school put a casino’s logo — in this case, the casino that holds the sole right to operate a sports book in the state — on its jerseys? Why not? A casino owns the naming rights to Arizona’s stadium, and a casino pays Oklahoma to advertise on its field.

Georgia: Coca-Cola
There are a ton of possibilities for the Bulldogs. Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Delta and Chick-fil-a are Georgia-based companies that already spend big money on college football sponsorships. The guess here is Coke.

Georgia Tech: Invesco QQQ
One of the investment fund’s first commercials featured Georgia Tech football, and it has advertised heavily in college football in recent years.

Houston: Del Frisco’s
Houston mega-booster Tilman Fertitta owns a wide portfolio of restaurants, hotels and casinos. Del Frisco’s is one of the newest additions, and it would be a classy addition to the Cougars’ jerseys.

Illinois: Oracle
It’s the least Oracle founder and Illinois dropout Larry Ellison could do after helping conference rival Michigan fund its deal for quarterback Bryce Underwood. (Ellison’s wife is a Michigan grad.)

Indiana: Cost Plus Drug Company
Indiana grad Mark Cuban knows how to drum up publicity for his projects. Now he can bring attention to his online pharmacy while helping his alma mater try to defend its national title.

Iowa: John Deere
Andy and Ari listener Alec suggested the perfect match for the Hawkeyes. John Deere has a massive plant in Waterloo, Iowa. The biggest question: Would the patch be John Deere green, or would it blend with Iowa’s black and gold?

Iowa State: HyVee
This Iowa-based grocery store chain feels like a great fit for the Cyclones, who showed in a previous deal with the Iowa Pork Producers that they know how to create buzz around food.

Kansas: Boulevard Brewing
This might be wishful thinking by me, because I’m not sure if anyone will allow an alcoholic beverage brand to buy its jersey patch. But Boulevard already sponsors Kansas athletics, and this seems like a great way for a brewery that has gone national to spread the gospel of Bourbon Barrel Quad and Space Camper IPA.

Kansas State: Jersey Mike’s
New Jersey Mike’s CEO Charlie Morrison spent his college years in the Little Apple.

Kentucky: Morgan and Morgan
Attorney John Morgan attended Florida and originally set up his practice in Orlando, but the head of one of the nation’s biggest law firms has roots in Kentucky.

Louisville: KFC
Back when the city of Louisville was trying to get an NBA team years ago, one proposal for the arena name was the KFC Bucket. This is too perfect a marriage of brand and school.

LSU: Woodside Energy
We were expecting Raising Canes, which was founded by LSU donor (and Georgia grad) Todd Graves. But the school instead went with an Australian energy company that is doing big business in Louisiana.

Maryland: Vanda Pharmaceuticals
As you’ll also see with the Oregon entry, it’s tough when your biggest booster’s company logo is already plastered all over your uniforms. Vanda is the presenting sponsor for Maryland basketball this season. Perhaps the D.C.-based company wants to strengthen the relationship.

Miami: U Health
The University of Miami Health System is a massive revenue generator that helps drive the entire university.

Michigan: Ford Motor Co.
Ford already partnered with the school on a robotics lab. Two of the region’s biggest brands feel like a natural fit.

Michigan State: United Wholesale Mortgage
Former Spartans basketball walk-on Mat Ishbia’s company made him a billionaire, and he’s already plowed some of that money back into Michigan State athletics.

Minnesota: Hormel Foods
Arkansas has Tyson, and Minnesota has its major homegrown meat producer. While not as big as Tyson, Hormel has a $13.3 billion market captialization.

Mississippi State: C Spire
This Mississippi-based telecommunications company has been working with the Bulldogs for years.

Missouri: EquipmentShare
This Columbia-based equipment rental company grew by leaps and bounds in its first 10 years. It’s now nationwide, and it just went public. Now might be the time for a high-visibility deal.

Nebraska: Sandhills Global
The fun one would be home-grown fast food chain Runza, but there are some big-money companies with Nebraska ties who might jump on this to help the Cornhuskers. Sandhills Global, a Lincoln-based information processing company, is owned by the family that funded Nebraska’s NIL collective before it went in-house in 2025.

North Carolina: 23XII Racing
Michael Jordan’s silhouette already appears on North Carolina’s jerseys, but perhaps his Airness could contribute even more by sponsoring some player salaries.

Northwestern: Aon
Northwestern megadonor Pat Ryan founded this worldwide insurance broker, which dwarfs many of the companies on this list with a market cap of $72.6 billion.

N.C. State: Modern Woodmen
This insurance company already sponsors Wolfpack sports, and football players might enjoy wearing the patch.

Notre Dame: Verizon
If the Fighting Irish elect to do this at all, Notre Dame’s brand is so powerful that it already has plenty of deep-pocketed sponsors from which to choose. I picked one from a fairly long list of existing relationships. Twitter user Zach Cohen, however, chose violence.

Ohio State: Nationwide
This Columbus-based behemoth already owns the name to the Buckeyes’ hockey arena. Given the amount insurance companies pour into advertising during football games, claiming the jersey of one of America’s most watched teams makes perfect sense.

Oklahoma: Love’s
Love’s already has its logo on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s jerseys. But the Sooners probably are a bigger national brand than the reigning NBA champ.

Oklahoma State: Bluepeak
This fiber Internet company has sponsored Oklahoma State sports since 2021 and continues to grow.

Oregon: Tillamook
T.J. Brasil, my producer on the College Football Enquirer podcast, is a proud Oregon track alum. He asked the obvious question: Are they just going to add a second Nike swoosh? It’s a fine question. Nike founder Phil Knight has long been Oregon’s sugar daddy, but the existing apparel deals already allow for a pass-through to pay players and heavily advertise the apparel maker on the uniform. So the Ducks grab an extra revenue stream thanks to a proud Oregon dairy company.

Ole Miss: Realtree Camouflage
The Rebels already occasionally wear Realtree-inspired helmets, and Realtree creator Bill Jordan is a former Ole Miss football player.

Penn State: Hershey chocolate
Or maybe nothing. Penn State’s football uniform feels like it might be too sacred to sully with advertising. But that James Franklin buyout is huge. So if the Nittany Lions decide to go that route, Hershey is the compromise after no one can agree whether to sell the sponsorship to Wawa or Sheetz, the gas station chains — each with made-to-order food that hits so perfectly at 2 a.m. — that dominate eastern and western Pennsylvania, respectively.

Pittsburgh: Sheetz
There is no such argument at Pittsburgh, where Sheetz reigns throughout the surrounding area.

Purdue: Uber
Purdue was one of nine schools that made deals with Uber last year to promote its Uber One student memberships. Given how much the company has promoted Uber Eats through various forms of advertising connected to sports, a jersey sponsorship would make sense.

Rutgers: Prudential
The company already sponsors Rutgers basketball, and given that seemingly every insurance company wants to advertise around college football, it needs to find a spot.

South Carolina: HendrickCars.com
This network of auto dealerships has been pretty heavily involved with South Carolina football in past years, so this would be an extension of the partnership.

SMU: Epoch Wines
Feel free to make your SMU-wine sipping jokes, but this company is owned by SMU mega-booster Bill Armstrong. In fact, Epoch already sponsors the podcast Armstrong co-hosts with On3’s Billy Embody. (Side note: After watching a few episodes, it’s time to incorporate Epoch into Andy and Ari On3.)

Stanford: Google
You have to shoot for the moon, right? If not, Stanford already has deals with Carvana and Acer. Perhaps they’d be willing to dig deeper.

Syracuse: Wegman’s
Here’s guessing the Orange partner with a beloved grocery store chain based about 90 minutes east in Gates, N.Y.

TCU: Pepsi
The more logical choice for Pepsi would be North Carolina, where Pepsi founder Caleb Bradham attended. But North Carolina sells Coke products at sports events, so that’s out. TCU, however, has an enthusiastic partnership with the company.

Tennessee: Pilot
Pilot already pays for its logo to be on Tennessee’s field, but the Haslam family hasn’t turned down many opportunities to financially support the Volunteers. Pilot founder Jim Haslam was a captain on Tennessee’s 1951 national title team.

Texas: None
Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte has seemed quite resolute that his program won’t be selling space on its jerseys. “What are we now, NASCAR?” Del Conte quipped last month during a town hall meeting with fans.

Texas A&M: Buc-ee’s
Arch “Beaver” Aplin — the visionary who asked “What if I made a gas station the size of a Wal-Mart?” — is a Texas A&M grad who just committed $60 million to create a new campus center to train students in hospitality fields. And while most patches probably won’t increase jersey sales, Texas A&M jerseys featuring the Buc-ee’s beaver would fly off the shelves.

Texas Tech: Double Eagle Energy Holdings
Does a company that buys and sells oil leases need to advertise? Probably not. But Double Eagle co-founder and former Red Raiders offensive lineman Cody Campbell is already helping bankroll the roster. This simply formalizes the arrangement.

UCF: Walt Disney World
The Orlando Magic already rock Cinderella’s castle on their jersey. It would look tremendous on a Citronaut jersey.

UCLA: Spotify
Follow me here. Which Los Angeles-based Holy Cross alum was overjoyed that the Bruins hired former Holy Cross coach Bob Chesney? Bill Simmons. Whose company is a tentpole in Spotify’s podcast business? Bill Simmons’ The Ringer. That’s how you connect a Swedish streaming company with an iconic college sports brand.

USC: In-N-Out Burger
Just look at this mock-up from Trojan Twitter celeb Fight On Rusty. It’s perfect.

Utah: Otro Capital
Utah was the first college athletic department to do a private equity deal. Why not expand the deal to move some of that money directly to the players?

West Virginia: Friends of Coal
The trade association that represents one of the state’s largest industries fits with a program that pays tribute to that industry with every Mountaineer Man Trip.

Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt Health
The university’s medical center already sponsors the Tennessee Titans, but like at Miami, this is a good way for a large revenue driver to drive revenue to the players.

Virginia: UPSTACK
Founded by former Virginia linebacker Chris Trapp, this fintech company already has its name on Virginia’s field.

Virginia Tech: Smithfield Foods
If you have a major meat producer in your state, I’m guessing its name is going on your jersey.

Wake Forest: Krispy Kreme
Remember Andy and Ari On3 listener Justin from the Boston College entry? He also suggested that the Demon Deacons partner with Krispy Kreme, which started in Winston-Salem in 1937. Bonus points if the Deacs use a Hot Doughnuts Now patch. Meanwhile, ACC rivals Wake Forest and Boston College would play every year for the Doughnut Ring.

Washington: Starbucks
The Seattle metro area has some huge companies that could be potential sponsors (Microsoft, Nintendo, Alaska Airlines), but Starbucks started pushing a little into college football last year and might want to expand that push.

Wisconsin: Fiduciary Management Inc.
It would be more fun to go with a Wisconsin-based brand like Culver’s or Johnsonville, but in the spirit of Tyson Foods and Arkansas, if one of the athletic department’s biggest donors has a company that can help shoulder the load, it’s a logical choice. This financial management firm belongs to Wisconsin mega-donor Ted Kellner.