The logo of Busey Bank, which was founded in Champaign-Urbana in 1868, will be displayed on the Illini athletic jerseys starting this fall.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

July 27, 2026

CHAMPAIGN — The orange-and-blue uniforms of the University of Illinois athletics teams will now include some of an Illinois-based company’s blue and white colors.

Busey Bank and the Illini have agreed to a jersey patch sponsorship deal that will put the company’s logo on the team’s athletics jerseys, the university announced Monday morning.

“With the introduction of increased corporate visibility on uniforms and coaching apparel, it was important for us to identify the right partner for such a high-profile, first-of-its-kind opportunity to be so closely aligned with our student-athletes, staff and the Fighting Illini brand,” said Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman stated in a university media release. “For nearly 160 years, the University of Illinois and Busey Bank have shared a history that has helped shape this great community. Both of our organizations are experiencing remarkable growth in prominence, reputation and success, and we are excited to help each other further accelerate our respective missions through this exciting partnership.”

The sponsorship for the Illini football, men's and women's basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer, and men's and women's golf programs will take effect in time for this upcoming 2026-27 sports seasons, which will prominently feature the Sept. 3 football season opener night game (8:30 p.m., Big Ten Network) at Gies Memorial Stadium against the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The Busey Bank mark will also appear on sideline apparel worn by Illinois coaches, including Bret Bielema, Brad Underwood and Shauna Green.

“This is more than a sponsorship—it's an investment in the future of Illinois Athletics and in the students and alumni who carry the University's impact beyond campus," Van Dukeman, chairman and chief executive officer of First Busey Corporation, stated in the university media release. “Rooted in Champaign-Urbana, Busey and the University of Illinois were founded just three months apart, and we're proud to continue that shared legacy through a partnership grounded in excellence and community. Together, we're creating opportunities that will benefit student-athletes, students, alumni, fans and the communities we serve for generations to come.”

The jersey patches are the first prominent corporate sponsorship deal since the $60 million naming rights deal that started in April 2013 for the men’s basketball arena, which was previously called Assembly Hall, as part of a major $165 million modernization and renovation project.

The exact financial terms of this Busey Bank jersey patch deal were not publicly disclosed in the university release as sponsorship arrangements conducted via third-party MMR sales organizations (such as this one with Learfield) are generally considered outside the scope of state open records legislation.

“Josh and his team are fantastic partners and continue to drive powerful opportunities for their teams and student-athletes,” Kim Damron, president of sports properties at Learfield, stated in the university media release. “Leaning into a first-of-its-kind jersey patch opportunity for Illinois Athletics with Busey Bank reflects their forward-thinking leadership. Few brand relationships carry the kind of shared history these two organizations have, and pairing that history with a 365-day, comprehensive partnership is what ensures their shared commitment is felt across the Illinois Athletics community for years to come.”

Earlier this spring, the University of Memphis formally announced a patch deal with their biggest corporate sponsor, FedEx. The University of South Florida also announced a patch deal with Tampa General Hospital. Wyoming also announced a deal with Tallgrass, an energy infrastructure company. Arkansas announced a further partnership with Tyson Foods and Louisiana State University confirmed a jersey patch deal was done with Woodside Energy, an Australian petroleum exploration and production company that has operated in offshore Louisiana for nearly two decades. Earlier this month, the Big 12 Conference announced a multi-year partnership with Monster Energy to make it the entitlement partner for regular-season football and basketball.

The NCAA’s Division I Cabinet approved sponsorship patches for uniforms, equipment and apparel in January, with a limit of two patches on uniforms and one on equipment. The patches cannot be larger than four square inches.

Illinois’ emphasis on new sponsorship comes as large university athletics departments across the nation continue to search for revenue ways needed to assemble revenue opportunities in order to fund the pay-for-play operations for competitive rosters in high-profile sports such as football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball.