The Jeff Wyler Automotive Family has secured a multi-year deal to become corporate sponsors and official jersey patch partners with the University of Cincinnati.
The details: A January rule change from the NCAA allows Division I teams to sell ad space on their uniforms and some equipment. It took effect Aug. 1.
And, Jeff Wyler Automotive appears to be the first auto retailer to take advantage of the opportunity, according to CEO David Wyler and a database that tracks those deals.
“We're going to have the Wyler name on football jerseys, football helmets, as well as the men's basketball team for the next few years,” Wyler told Daily Dealer Live host Sam D’Arc. “And to be part of the Big 12, the NCAA, it's a really, really big deal for us.”
During basketball season, wyler.com patches will appear under the Michael Jordan Jumpman logo on the right side of the jerseys.
For football, fans will see the Wyler name patches front and center on helmets, and just above the Nike swoosh logo on the left side of the jerseys, as seen below.
Images of the jerseys with wyler.com logos shared in a University of Cincinnati press release.
Same game, new deal: For Wyler Automotive, the fresh sponsorship represents an expansion of their sports advertising.
“Sports marketing is not new for us,” Wyler said. “Whether it's in stadium advertising at Ohio State or L&N [Federal Credit Union] Stadium at the University of Louisville, or being the official automotive sponsor of the Cincinnati Red Sports Marketing. That's kind of our wheelhouse... But to have this unique opportunity to put your name on 100 jerseys for prime time games, for nationally televised games…”
The group’s alliance with the university goes back at least 50 years, and this deal makes Wyler Automotive the largest corporate partner of Cincinnati Athletics, according to a university press release.
John Cunningham, Cincinnati’s athletic director, said in a statement that Wyler Automotive has built a reputation through “service, trust and a commitment to Greater Cincinnati for more than five decades.”
“Our student-athletes are proud to wear our city across their chests, and now one of our community's most recognizable family businesses will be part of that jersey as well,” Cunningham said.
Worth noting: With the rule change, teams can have up to two additional commercial logos on their uniforms and apparel.
One additional commercial logo on equipment during the preseason and regular season is also permitted, with an additional commercial logo on uniforms and apparel allowed for conference championships.
Max size is four square inches per logo.
As the rule stands now, the patches wouldn’t be allowed for NCAA-sponsored championship events, such as the March Madness tournament.
That rule doesn’t apply to football since the NCAA doesn’t sponsor the College Football Playoff.
Money matters: Financial terms were not disclosed, but multiple news outlets called it a multi-million-dollar deal.
Media reports say the highest-valued agreements thus far were crafted for the universities in South Bend, Ind., and Columbus, Ohio.
Notre Dame’s deal with SoFi is reportedly worth between $18 million and $20 million, according to Yahoo! Sports.
Ohio State’s pact with JP Morgan Chase is estimated at $15 million, according to local news outlets.
Both deals include all sports at the schools.
More than 60 sponsorships were finalized this year, a figure that includes more than just teams. The Big 12, for instance, has its own deal.
The Sports Business Journal runs a database tracking each new deal.
Here are a few from it, organized by conference/team, as well as which sports will rock the logos and the sponsor name.
Big 12 Conference: Football | men's and women's basketball | Monster Energy
Kansas (Big 12): All 16 sports | Ripple
West Virginia (Big 12): All 18 sports | Antero
Marshall (Sun Belt): All 16 sports | Marshall Health Network
Arkansas (SEC): All 19 sports | Tyson
Pittsburgh (ACC): Football | UMPC
Prime real estate: Auto dealers have always advertised in sports, from youth organizations to the big leagues, inside and outside of stadiums.
But real estate on a pro sports jersey feels less common, not that it’s unheard of.
Virginia-based Carter Myers Automotive became a kit sponsor for the Charlottesville Blues FC pro soccer team the past two years.
And this summer, Ed Morse Automotive Group, of Delray Beach, Florida, developed a sponsorship that sees an EMAG logo patch affixed upon vests for the Florida Freedom, a Professional Bull Riding team.
“The reason we did it is because the PBR has 10 teams,” CEO Teddy Morse told CDG News. “Seven of the 10 teams are in states or cities that we have dealerships in, and the bull riding community is really, really big fans of trucks. And obviously we sell Chevy, GMC, Ford, Ram...”
Morse said it’s a cool move, even if doesn’t necessarily have a definitive way to track ROI.
Their group recently hosted the Freedom squad, allowing EMAG teammates to hang out with the riders and attend some competitions.
Similarly, Wyler envisions employees visiting practice facilities, attending dinners, locker room trips and such, and vice versa, with student-athletes and coaches visiting dealership facilities, too.
"I just think it's a match made in heaven, especially with our coaching philosophy," Wyler said. "Our employees are really excited, and it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for them."
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Go, team, go: Wyler said the Bearcats’ identity, which he described as "vicious," "grinders," and "hustlers," is a match for how the company runs internally, right down to a company-wide "coaching" style they built in place of traditional managers.
"It just folds in great with our coaching philosophy with our players and our coaches," Wyler said. "And in particular, the University of Cincinnati."
Speaking of good coaching…
Cincinnati’s Bearcats topped the Boston College Eagles, 34-15, at their home opener on Sept. 5 at Nippert Stadium.
The Wyler.com logo patches debuted to a crowd of about 37,097. (See the Wyler patches in action in the screenshot below.)
Wyler.com logos are seen on the helmets and jerseys of the Cincinnati Bearcats players. (Screenshot from the game).
Looking ahead: Time will tell if Wyler’s move helps break open a new route for dealership advertising in Division I, but in the meantime… When asked what success looks like for their partnership, Wyler said it’s all about reciprocity.
“Well, success is, again, giving back to this city that has provided so much,” Wyler said. “And having our employees, our players, our team members be part of a football team, and to be part of a basketball team, and vice versa. Having the university and these student-athletes have our name and wear that with pride.”
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