Ripple inks multi-year deal, puts XRP on Kansas Jayhawks jerseys

Ripple has signed a multi-year sponsorship with University of Kansas Athletics that names XRP the official cryptocurrency of Kansas Athletics and places the XRP logo on the jerseys of all Jayhawks teams.

The agreement covers branding on uniforms across sports and includes funding for educational programs for student-athletes on traditional finance and digital assets. The deal also includes initiatives to connect KU graduates with jobs in the technology sector.

Travis Goff, director of athletics at the University of Kansas, described the partnership as recognizing “the unique reach and passion of the Jayhawk community” and said Ripple chose Kansas to “introduce XRP to millions of sports fans.”

Bill Self, Kansas men’s basketball coach, called the timing “a critical time in college athletics to be bold” and added the athletic department will make sure players “understand the significance of the partnership and why it is beneficial for them moving forward.”

The agreement reconnects the university with Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple’s president and a KU alumnus. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Crypto firms have a mixed record in sports sponsorships. FTX purchased naming rights for an NBA arena before it collapsed, and Terra signed a multi-year deal with an MLB team. More established crypto firms active in sports marketing include Coinbase and Ledger.

Market reaction on the day of the announcement was modest: XRP fell about 4.2%, trading near $1.07 with a market capitalization of roughly $67 billion. XRP reached an all-time high of $3.65 last year and has declined from that peak.

University officials and Ripple characterized the agreement as both a marketing partnership and an educational collaboration focused on student-athlete financial literacy and post-graduation career connections in technology.