SPIRE Academy to wear jersey patch as part of landmark $6M sponsorship

SPIRE Academy (Ohio) is set to announce a landmark $6 million sponsorship with Vensure Employer Solutions on Thursday that will see its boys basketball team sport a commercial patch on their jerseys.

Vensure, an HR service and tech provider, will pay SPIRE $6 million across five years, with $500,000 coming this year, the school confirms to Rivals. In addition to having a jersey patch, Vensure will also be the presenting sponsor of the SPIRE Performance Research Institute. Sportico first reported the deal on Thursday.

It’s a first-of-its-kind deal at the high school level and comes not long after the NCAA Division I Cabinet voted to approve jersey patch sponsorships in college sports. That legislation isn’t due to take effect until Aug. 1, however.

SPIRE Academy continues to emerge as one of the premier high school boys basketball programs and brands in the nation. Last March, it hired legendary high school coach Kevin Boyle away from Montverde Academy in Florida.

Boyle is a four-time Naismith High School Coach of the Year and has coached more than 20 players who went on to the NBA, including the likes of Kyrie Irving, Joel Embiid, Cade Cunningham, Ben Simmons, D’Angelo Russell, Scottie Barnes, R.J. Barrett, Al Harrington and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

The program out of Geneva, Ohio has quickly risen up the ranks this season and is currently the No. 9 team in the nation and No. 1 team in Ohio, according to the Rivals Composite Rankings. There are nine ranked high school prospects on the 2025-26 roster.

NCAA Cabinet approves jersey patch sponsorships

Under the new legislation, schools will be able to place up to two additional commercial logos on uniforms and one additional logo on equipment during both the preseason and postseason. They can also add another logo on uniforms and apparel during conference championships.

Patches are limited to a maximum of 4 square inches per logo, according to the NCAA. The legislation is in effect for non-NCAA championship competition.

“College sports are in an exciting new era of increased financial benefits for student-athletes, and the Cabinet’s vote today reflects the ongoing commitment of Division I members to drive additional revenues and fully fund those benefits,” said Josh Whitman, Illinois athletics director and D-I Cabinet chair, in a statement.

“This also continues the NCAA’s efforts to expand flexibility in areas of NCAA rules, thereby allowing schools and conferences to set standards that reflect their values and serve their unique needs. This important policy change is another step forward in advancing that philosophy and providing members with increased flexibility.”

On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this story.