College athletics are changing, and the University of Southern Indiana is changing with it. USI Athletics announced a six-year, $1 million agreement on Aug. 12 with Mt. Vernon-based company TCG to become the university’s jersey patch sponsor. The patch will appear on the jerseys of all 19 of the Screaming Eagles’ athletic programs. USI is the first university in the Ohio Valley Conference to make this commitment. A new era of college sports
The agreement comes after the NCAA’s jersey patch policy for Division I athletic programs went into effect Aug. 1. In May, USI Athletics made a social media post seeking a jersey patch sponsor. In the end, TCG had the best presentation. “It was an interesting process because it was new to us,” USI athletic director Jon Mark Hall said. “Trying to understand the dollars behind it, what it would mean to a company and us. It took some time, but once the conversations were going, it was something that came to fruition over a couple of weeks. It was a nice, easy process with them.” Hall said there were conversations with other companies as well. While there was some initial doubt, it became clear over a lunch appointment that TCG’s motives were pure. In Hall’s words, TCG is the perfect partner. In a press release, USI president Steven J. Bridges shared his satisfaction with the partnership. "This partnership represents an innovative way to support our student-athletes while aligning with a company that has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to the University of Southern Indiana and our region," Bridges said. More: Rick Stein hopes continuity propels Southern Indiana women's basketball Alignment
The word USI athletic director Jon Mark Hall often used during the news conference at Liberty Arena was alignment. In TCG, he is confident the university has met its match. “We don’t want just anyone’s logo on our jerseys,” Hall said. “We want a partner; someone that’s committed to the same values we have.” With the NCAA’s ever-changing landscape, it was also important for USI to find a partner that is just as adaptable as it aims to be. TCG shares those values as well. John Rohlman, TCG’s vice president of global business development, expressed the company’s commitment to the USI community in the press release. This partnership not only signifies the university’s commitment to innovation, but also to its student-athletes. The women’s soccer team, among others, were in attendance. “They’re going to know that a local company is investing in them,” Hall said. “Hopefully it’ll be a good sense of pride for them.” With fall sports set to begin at USI, the patches will not appear on jerseys immediately. Hall is expecting that process to conclude within the next three-to-four weeks as the university prepares to order around 1,000 patches. Markos Tsegaye is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. He can be reached at mtsegaye@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @10_Markos_. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Southern Indiana fetches $1 million deal for jersey patch sponsor, setting bar for OVC