Danny White Nailed Tennessee’s Jersey Patch Game

By: Dallas Bowlin

Senior Staff Writer/Editor/Host

All Vol Call In Show

Graphic | Dallas Bowlin

Here comes the money. Money, money, money, money, money.

Sorry, couldn’t help myself. But if you know, you know.

Anyway, Tennessee has announced its jersey patch partners for both football and basketball. First Horizon Bank (formerly First Tennessee) will be featured on the football jersey, while Axle Logistics will be featured on the basketball jerseys for both the men’s and women’s teams.

While plenty of other schools have locked up patch sponsors, none have done it smarter than Danny White and the others in charge of making these decisions.

Ohio State, for example, signed a patch deal with JPMorgan Chase that covers all 36 men’s and women’s varsity teams at Ohio State. The deal will pay Ohio State nearly $17 million each year, per ESPN.

While Chase does have ties to Ohio, having one patch cover all of its teams really ties Ohio State down financially.

Axle Logistics signed a five-year, $3 million deal with Tennessee to cover its men’s and women’s basketball teams, according to the Knoxville Sentinel.

First Horizon Bank, meanwhile, signed a 10-year jersey patch deal with Tennessee Football worth more than $120 million. The deal will also cover Tennessee’s Olympic sports, according to Pete Thamel.

Obviously, Tennessee still needs to secure a deal for its baseball and softball programs.

Along with leaving itself plenty of options financially, the jersey patches will also blend right in with the jerseys, as both First Horizon and Axle are formatting their logos with Tennessee colors.

Ohio State and Notre Dame may still hold the biggest annual numbers, but Danny White and Tennessee have maximized Tennessee’s jersey patch revenue without handing the metaphorical keys to the kingdom to just one brand.

This only solidifies my belief that Danny White and this current Tennessee administration are the best the University has ever had.