Big Ten inks deal for title sponsor of football championship game

Everything is seemingly changing this year with Big Ten football. Conferences have been reshuffled and redistributed, divisions have been eliminated, four new teams will join the fray with the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, NIL continues to cook, and now this.

According to a release from the Big Ten, the conference has announced a multi-year renewal with Discover as the “official card of the Big Ten conference.” Color me surprised that there was a deal in the first place, but that’s because I sometimes lack the focus needed to chew gum and walk at the same time. The deal not only continues a sponsorship partnership, but it moves the company from a presenting sponsor of the game since 2017, to now being front and center in the title. The game will now be known as the “Discover Big Ten College Football Championship Game.” 

That’s a mouthful.

According to the release, it also means that Discover will have more presence at the game, including increased signage and fan experiences, plus potential additional rewards for Discover Card members. We don’t quite know what that is yet, but we are intrigued. Discover will also have a “Locker Room Experience” at regular season games featuring Big Ten legends and photo ops that will culminate at the Big Ten Championship game.

— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) July 22, 2024“Our sponsorship renewal maintains Discover as the official credit card of the Big Ten Conference and we will further extend the strong relationships we have forged with Big Ten students, student-athletes, fans and alumni since 2017; it also gives us the opportunity to grow alongside the Big Ten Conference as it expands its national footprint,” said Jennifer Murillo, Chief Marketing Officer at Discover in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Big Ten and building Discover’s presence with its many conference platforms.”

 Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti was also excited to continue the relationship.

“We are happy to extend our partnership with Discover as they become the first-ever title sponsor of the Big Ten Football Championship Game,” said Petitti. “They have been an important partner for several years and we look forward to continue working with them in support of Big Ten schools and student-athletes.”

The 2024 Discover Big Ten College Football Championship Game is set to take place on Saturday, Dec. 7 this year at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Author(s)

Phil Harrison has covered the Big Ten for collegefootballnews.com, Ohio State sports for USA TODAY SMG’s Buckeyes Wire, and other sports platforms. He has been a guest on many local and national podcasts and radio shows.