Tennessee is putting a bank on the football jersey for the first time. First Horizon is the official jersey patch sponsor for Vols football, Tennessee announced Tuesday. The company has been the Official Bank of the Vols for 34 years. Now the logo goes on the uniform.
The patch debuts Saturday when Tennessee opens the season against Furman at Neyland Stadium. The logo will be orange and white to match the uniforms, not the usual First Horizon blue and red. Tennessee did not release the dollar figure. Industry sources told local outlets the deal is for 10 years and more than $120 million. That covers football plus volleyball, soccer, track and field, golf, tennis, cross country, swimming and diving, and rowing. It does not cover basketball. Those jerseys already belong to Axle Logistics. Baseball and softball do not have a patch yet.
First Horizon also gets its name on two premium areas: the First Horizon West Club at Neyland Stadium and the First Horizon MVP Club at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.Athletics director Danny White called First Horizon an indispensable partner and said the deal is meant to keep Tennessee competitive in the new college sports landscape. Josh Heupel called them a loyal local partner and said they will keep supporting the program with resources. This is the money era showing up on the chest. The uniforms still say Tennessee. They will also say who is helping pay for it.