Georgia extends Learfield partnership for 15 years through 2042

Staff Reports

ATHENS, Ga. — The University of Georgia — an academic and athletic powerhouse within the Southeastern Conference — and Learfield — the leading media and technology company across college athletics — have agreed to a transformative 15-year extended partnership to maximize revenue for Georgia Athletics and grow opportunities for Bulldog student-athletes. 

The agreement aligns with Georgia Athletics’ aggressive revenue growth strategy and expands the ability to collaborate on new sponsorship, media, and fan engagement opportunities, creating one of the most innovative and largest revenue-generating relationships in college athletics. Through the partnership, Georgia continues to strengthen its position as a leader in student-athlete influencer marketing campaigns, sponsorships, and brand partnerships.

“This new partnership represents a historical moment for our program as we focus on providing meaningful experiences for student-athletes, supporters and corporate partners,” J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks said. “To remain at the forefront during this new era in college athletics, it is vitally important we strengthen our investment in student-athletes and connect them with brands that help them be successful during their time at UGA and beyond. Learfield is the industry leader when it comes to fostering strategic partnerships, and we are thrilled to extend our agreement for the next 15 years.” 

Under Brooks’ leadership, Georgia Athletics has emerged as a leader in student-athlete marketing, becoming one of the first departments to launch a comprehensive program offering wide-ranging education, multimedia management tools and brand-building training. The Bulldogs were also one of the first schools to establish an in-house student-athlete marketing department with an Athlete Manager to help student-athletes navigate this space. In collaboration with Learfield Impact services, Georgia continues to expand opportunities for student-athletes to participate in authentic brand partnerships through unique storytelling, exclusive content and marketing events. Brand partners, including Delta Airlines, DoorDash, Jersey Mike’s and many others leverage these opportunities to connect with student-athletes and engage fans year-round. 

To elevate student-athlete storytelling, UGA’s media team, in collaboration with Learfield, develop unique content to engage fans and maximize brand activations. These teams, coupled with UGA’s robust broadcast network, deliver curated Georgia Athletics content, aligned with brand partners, throughout the year. 

Through its partnership with Learfield and Georgia Bulldog Sports Marketing, the UGA Athletic Association has built several impactful brand collaborations featuring marquee assets including on-field logos for football (Progressive) and softball (Georgia’s Own Credit Union). The relationship has also developed strategic partnerships with the state’s largest companies including Coca Cola, Chick fil-A, Delta Airlines, Georgia Power, Napa Auto Parts, Piedmont Healthcare, Zaxby’s, and many more. Further opportunities will continue to expand under this new agreement that goes until 2042.

“Josh and his team have consistently led through this period of profound change with a clear vision and commitment to excellence,” said Learfield CEO and President Cole Gahagan. “By pairing Learfield’s scale and innovation with the strength of the Bulldogs brand, we will continue to grow Georgia Athletics revenues at record levels, deliver authentic partnerships for Bulldogs student-athletes, and engage fans.”

Georgia Athletics also taps into additional Learfield solutions to enhance the fan experience and grow revenue throughout touchpoints including solutions from SIDEARM Sports for digital fan engagement, Paciolan for ticketing, marketing and fundraising, amplify for ticket sales, development and seating.