Home Sports Business Sponsorship Mondelēz builds year-round college sports platform with five new partnerships The new partnerships cover the University of Florida, University of Michigan, University of Southern California (USC), University of Arkansas and the University of Texas at Austin. By Aashay Khandelwal August 28, 2026 WhatsApp Linkedin Facebook X Telegram Mondelēz builds year-round college sports platform with five new partnerships Mondelēz International is significantly expanding its presence in U.S. college athletics, announcing sponsorship agreements with five high-profile programs as the global snacking company looks to deepen consumer connections through sport. The new partnerships cover the University of Florida, University of Michigan, University of Southern California (USC), University of Arkansas and the University of Texas at Austin. The agreements, facilitated by Learfield , will give Mondelēz year-round activation opportunities across a range of collegiate sports and extend its reach into some of the country’s largest college sports markets. The programme will feature multiple brands from Mondelēz’s portfolio, including OREO , RITZ, CHIPS AHOY!, SOUR PATCH KIDS, CLIF BAR and RITZ Bits. Activations will span football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, hockey and other sports, moving the company’s strategy beyond individual game-day campaigns towards a broader, year-round platform. The partnerships will also incorporate student-athletes, bringing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) into Mondelēz’s college sports strategy. USC basketball star JuJu Watkins, Michigan’s Trey McKinney and Olivia Olson, Texas’ Madison Booker and Arkansas’ Jordan Smith Jr. are among the athletes involved. Nick Rogers, Director of Portfolio Marketing & Sponsorships at Mondelēz International, said, “We are thrilled to kick off this massive collegiate campaign by partnering with these powerhouse programs. Mondelēz products have been at the heart of gameday traditions for decades. By bringing our broader portfolio, including fan favourites like OREO cookies, SOUR PATCH KIDS candies, CHIPS AHOY! cookies, CLIF BAR and bringing back RITZ football-shaped crackers to premier athletic programs, we continue to cement Mondelēz as the ultimate snack roster for college sports fans nationwide.” Shawn Hegan, Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships at Learfield, added, “The best college athletics partnerships fit naturally into how fans already experience game day. Bringing together world-class global brands like Mondelēz International’s beloved snacks with schools and student-athletes creates opportunities that make sense for everyone involved and gives fans another way to connect with the teams they support.” The strategy will extend beyond stadiums and campuses through retail activations at H-E-B, Publix, Walmart , Meijer , Hy-Vee and Albertsons, linking sponsorship exposure with consumer purchase opportunities. The expansion follows Mondelēz’s recent entry into professional football sponsorship through its partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs and reinforces the company’s broader push to use sport as a platform for brand engagement, athlete marketing and retail conversion. Tags CHIPS AHOY! CLIF BAR Jordan Smith Jr. JuJu Watkins Learfield Madison Booker Mondelēz Mondelez International Mondelez International Group Olivia Olson Oreo Oreo (Mondelez) RITZ RITZ Bits SOUR PATCH KIDS Sponsorship Trey McKinney University of Arkansas University of Florida University of Michigan University of Southern California University of Texas University of Texas at Austin Related Articles College sports goes commercial as Michigan, Purdue expand brand partnerships Latest Articles Football eToro extends Premier League push with Leeds United partnership Football Tottenham Hotspur strengthen Asian commercial push with VSbet deal Media Rights VETO expands live sports portfolio with 2026 Billie Jean King Cup rights Sponsorship JAL strengthens winter sports strategy with Ski Association of Japan partnership Business News Sportradar builds prediction-market infrastructure with expanded Polymarket deal Load more
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: sportsmintmedia.com