ATLANTA (November 5, 2026) – The University of Arkansas and SMU have become the first universities to integrate their real-world football jersey patch and on-field sponsors into EA SPORTS College Football, setting a new milestone in collegiate brand marketing and digital fan engagement.
The new sponsorship activation delivers real-life branding that fans see on game day directly into the gaming experience and expands connections between brand sponsors and one of the most passionate and engaged audiences in sports gaming.
For SMU, the Mustangs’ in-game jersey patch features Texas Capital, the only full-service financial services firm headquartered in Texas, which recently signed an all-sports sponsorship agreement that includes jersey patch branding across all sports and rights for in-game sponsorship integration. For Arkansas, in-game uniforms now feature Tyson Foods, the Razorbacks’ real-world jersey patch sponsor across 19 sports. In addition, the Tyson logo and Walmart logo appear on the 25-yard lines of the virtual Frank Broyles Field, as they do in Razorback Stadium.
CLC, the collegiate licensing leader and a Learfield business division, is leading the program. Through its license with EA SPORTS, CLC manages the intellectual property rights in the game for participating Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institutions, conferences, bowl games, the College Football Playoff and the Heisman Trophy. To support the initiative, CLC established a dedicated gaming partnerships team led by video game industry veteran Kevin Kimball, vice president of gaming partnerships. The team is responsible for selling school-specific brand integrations and works with EA SPORTS to manage and deliver them.
“These innovative brand integrations connect corporate partners with one of the most engaged audiences in sports entertainment,” said Cory Moss, President of Brand Management and Marketing at Learfield/CLC. “We’re excited to deliver this opportunity to brands in a way that aligns with EA SPORTS’ broader commitment to creating the best possible gaming experience while helping schools and partners extend their brand presence into a rapidly growing digital environment.”
For schools, the program creates a new school-specific revenue stream within the game. For forward-thinking brands, it’s a new way to connect with the College Football fans in an environment built around game day.
“Game days in college football are about the details, like the patch on the jersey and the logos on the 25-yard line,” said Alex Dao, VP of Advertising and Sponsorships at Electronic Arts. “Seeing the real sponsors in EA SPORTS College Football makes it feel more like Saturday, and it gives schools and their partners a fun new way to show up for the fans who play.”
Additional school-specific sponsorship integrations will be introduced as more brand partners join the program.
About CLC
CLC is the nation’s leading collegiate trademark licensing and marketing company, representing nearly 800 collegiate brands, including universities, conferences, bowls, the NCAA, the College Football Playoff, the Heisman Trophy, and other top collegiate properties. With a network of over 4,000 licensed manufacturers and relationships with more than 100,000 national, regional, and local retailers nationwide, the company is uniquely positioned to deliver fan connections and brand visibility for institutions through data-driven, customized solutions that include impactful licensed merchandise strategies and innovative marketing platforms to navigate the ever-evolving consumer and retail marketplace. Founded in 1981, CLC is a part of Learfield, the leading media and technology company powering college athletics.
Media Contacts:
CLC / Learfield – Tammy Purves, tammy.purves@clc.com, 770-799-3275
EA SPORTS – Will Alexander, walexander@ea.com