HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Athletics and Marshall Health Network have introduced a five-year partnership by Learfield that may present an all-sport jersey patch on each Marshall Athletics uniform, starting with the 2026-27 athletic seasons.
The settlement marks the primary all-sport jersey patch partnership within the Sun Belt Conference and the primary in Marshall Athletics historical past, signaling a brand new stage of collaboration between the college’s athletics program and its tutorial well being system.
“This agreement shows the commitment of Marshall Health Network to Marshall University and Marshall Athletics, and having it as the first of its kind in the Sun Belt Conference solidifies the importance of the relationship between Marshall Athletics, the greater Huntington community and Herd Nation,” stated Gerald J. Harrison, Marshall’s Vice President and Director of Athletics.
Marshall Health Network has lengthy supported Marshall Athletics by partnerships such because the Marshall Sports Medicine Institute and its presenting sponsorship of Marshall Women’s Athletics. The well being system additionally leads Marshall’s athletic coaching program in collaboration with the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, creating an unbiased, patient-centered mannequin of care that prioritizes the well being and well-being of Marshall student-athletes. The all-sport jersey patch partnership builds on that basis with income generated from the patches straight benefiting student-athletes throughout all packages.
“As an academic health system, we are honored to take care of the Herd – supporting the health, performance and well-being of Marshall student-athletes across every sport,” stated Scott Raynes, president & CEO of Marshall Health Network. “This collaboration reflects our mission to advance health, inspire hope and serve you. We’re proud to stand alongside the Thundering Herd, united by the determination and work ethic that define our student-athletes, our care teams and the communities we serve.”
Starting in August, the Marshall Health Network brand will seem on the uniforms of all sponsored NCAA Division I males’s and ladies’s sports activities groups that characterize the Thundering Herd.
The recently-approved jersey patch alternatives arrive at a pivotal time for Marshall Athletics with the Thundering Herd’s nationwide soccer presence rising at a speedy charge, reaching 22 million-plus TV viewers over the previous three years.
During that timeframe, Marshall’s athletic success on the nationwide panorama contains being the 2024 NCAA College Cup Finalist in Men’s Soccer, the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Football Champion, the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Champion and NCAA Tournament participant, a present 2026 NCAA Top 25 Softball Program and the 2026 WNIT Champion in Women’s Basketball.
In addition to the jersey patch sponsorship, Marshall Health Network will function the Official Health Care Provider of Marshall Athletics.
“As the region’s leading health network, Marshall Health Network’s investment in the Huntington community and region made them the right fit for this impactful partnership with the Thundering Herd,” stated Will Smith, General Manager of Thundering Herd Sports Properties. “Learfield exists to build comprehensive partnerships that bring jersey visibility, NIL opportunities, digital activations and fan engagement all together, creating lasting value for our university partners and the brands that invest in them. We’re thrilled to bring a partnership of this scope to Marshall and look forward to seeing it come to life across every sport.”
Thundering Herd Sports Properties is the locally-based Learfield staff that’s the unique multimedia rights holder for Marshall Athletics and oversees all sponsorship agreements on behalf of the Herd.
About Marshall Health Network
Marshall Health Network (MHN) is a number one tutorial well being system devoted to advancing well being, inspiring hope and serving households throughout West Virginia, southern Ohio and japanese Kentucky. MHN unites 4 hospitals – Cabell Huntington Hospital, St. Mary’s Medical Center, Hoops Family Children’s Hospital and Rivers Health – together with a complete community of main and specialty companies by Marshall Health. In partnership with the Marshall University faculties of medication, nursing and pharmacy, and the St. Mary’s faculties of medical imaging, nursing, respiratory care and sonography, MHN is dedicated to delivering medical excellence, increasing entry and offering compassionate care at each stage of life. Learn extra at marshallhealthnetwork.org.
About Marshall Athletics
Marshall Athletics is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competing in Division I as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. Marshall at the moment has 18 varsity sports activities with 10 girls’s sports activities and eight males’s sports activities, offering tutorial and athletic alternatives to Marshall University for greater than 500 student-athletes. Marshall Athletics has a convention of educational and athletic excellence all through its sports activities packages and takes delight in offering student-athletes with a championship expertise on and off the sphere by remaining steadfast within the pillars of the ‘Herd Mentality’, which incorporates Honoring The Journey, Engaging With Purpose, Rising Through Innovation and Dedicating To Others.
About Learfield
Learfield is the main media and expertise firm powering faculty athletics. Through its digital and bodily platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep information set and relationships within the trade to drive income, progress, model consciousness, and fan engagement for manufacturers, sports activities, and leisure properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate establishments and over 12,000 native and nationwide model companions, Learfield’s presence in faculty sports activities and dwell occasions delivers affect and maximizes attain to focus on audiences. With options for a 365-day, 24/7 fan expertise, Learfield allows faculties and types to attach with followers by licensed merchandise, recreation ticketing, donor identification for athletic packages, unique customized content material, progressive advertising initiatives, NIL options, and superior digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments throughout all divisions.
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—HerdZone.com—