Bemidji State hops into NCAA's new advertising game, with more likely on the way

BEMIDJI — On Jan. 23, the NCAA approved the use of sponsorship patches on uniforms in Division I sports for the first time. Many universities took advantage early — Wisconsin reached a deal with Culver’s, Ohio State with JPMorgan Chase. Even the entire Big 12 conference reached a sponsorship/naming rights deal with Monster Energy. But the new ruling applied to Division I sports only. That meant only the men's and women's hockey teams at Bemidji State had new real estate for sale. That’s where Jesse Katz comes in. As Bemidji State’s assistant director of athletics for development and sponsorship, Katz is in charge of recruiting companies for ads seen at places like the Sanford Center and Chet Anderson Stadium. After the ruling in January, he was tasked with finding a company to partner with that would benefit the hockey programs financially, but would also be a good fit.

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