XRP Hits the Court: Ripple Becomes First Crypto to Patch a Power-5 Jersey 🏀

Ripple has signed a five-year sponsorship with the University of Kansas Athletics, placing the XRP logo on the jerseys of all Jayhawks teams and making XRP the official cryptocurrency of KU Athletics, the university announced. The deal, described as the first crypto sponsorship of an NCAA Division 1 collegiate athletics program, covers football and basketball jerseys as well as all KU uniforms, with patches going in starting today.

Director of Athletics Travis Goff said the partnership reflects the changing landscape of college athletics. "This era of college athletics demands innovative, forward-thinking partnerships," Goff said in a statement. "Ripple recognizes the unique reach and passion of the Jayhawk community, and we're proud they have chosen Kansas Athletics as a premier platform to introduce XRP to millions of sports fans," he added. Kansas Men's Basketball Coach Bill Self called it a bold moment for the program: "It's a critical time in college athletics to be bold, and that's what is being accomplished with today's announcement. We will make sure our guys understand the significance of the partnership and why it is beneficial for them moving forward."

Beyond the jerseys, Ripple will fund educational programs in traditional finance and digital assets for Kansas student-athletes and work to connect KU graduates to careers in technology. The agreement also links the Jayhawks with Ripple President Brad Garlinghouse, a University of Kansas graduate who previously described watching Jayhawks games as a "guilty pleasure." XRP futures rose 1% following the announcement, while XRP itself traded around $1.07 after falling roughly 4.2% on the day, leaving the token with a market capitalization near $67 billion and a top-six ranking among digital assets by market cap. XRP set an all-time high of $3.65 last year and has since declined about 71%.