One of college basketball’s cathedrals is getting a corporate makeover.
Duke is slated to announce a four-year sponsorship deal with Edward Jones that will see the company’s logos added to the floor at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The agreement will also include Edward Jones being designated a “Champion Partner of Duke Athletics” and becoming the presenting sponsor of the Duke Champions Club.
“What we have available and the changing economic realities of running a big-time [Division I] college sports programs understood if we could find a great partner that fits us and who we are, then let’s go and create a partnership,” Chief Athletic Director Nina King told me.
Hema Widhani, Principal and Head of Brand, Experience and Marketing at Edward Jones; and Nina King, Vice President and King-Compton Family Director of Athletics at Duke University. (Photo credit: Duke Athletics)
The leadership effort to add the Cameron Indoor brand has been largely for six months in conjunction with the school’s multimedia rights partner Learfield, which sells jerseys sponsored by its name.
King had been in constant communication with Learfield’s captain-centric team, having even had talks with longtime Blue Devils basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski to get his blessing on any body logo that would adorn his name on the court.
Others involved in the process include head men’s basketball coach Jon Scheyer and women’s basketball coach Kara Lawson.
Some K Court will share the field with another name in 2026. (Photo credit: Athletic Leader)
“It balances our needs in history and tradition, with the current landscape and developing what is right to do here,” King said. “I’m just excited about how this looks. It’s not like, ‘Oh my goodness, we’re going into NASCAR.’
That modernization-focused leader came to schools across the country on how to better lead the ongoing college athletic traditions necessary to remain competitive.
Cameron is marking new territory in this sense, and just two weeks after Michigan agreed to allow a similar break-up agreement with Coca-Cola, Meijer and a new agreement with Google Gemini outside the signing in The Big House for the first time.
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Corporate branding also appeared on the Notre Dame and Ohio State sites in the form of a patchwork jersey — something that became legal during the NCAA in January.
“It really looks at the economics of how the college has changed in the last couple of years, and what’s the best way to market those trends,” said Learfield President of Sports Properties Kim Damron. “I work with the racing team in a very respectful way that still really feels like we’re representing their brand and maintaining their tradition – it’s a pretty comprehensive approach to it.”