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Florida International University will wear a Miccosukee Casino & Resort patch on its jerseys this season, making FIU the second Division I school to publicly announce a casino sponsorship after the NCAA opened the door to commercial uniform patches.
The change stems from a January decision by the NCAA Division I Council Cabinet, which approved a policy allowing commercial logos or patches on uniforms, equipment, and apparel for non-championship games. Effective Aug. 1, Division I teams can use up to three commercial logos during the regular season, with each patch capped at four square inches.
FIU joins a short list of schools using casino branding
According to the source report, FIU’s agreement with Miccosukee Casino & Resort also extends to men’s and women’s basketball and baseball jerseys. Financial terms were not disclosed.
FIU athletic director Scott Carr said the partnership is meant to reflect South Florida ties, adding that Miccosukee Casino & Resort "does not offer sports betting."
That distinction matters in Florida. The source says Miccosukee Casino & Resort is owned and operated by the Miccosukee Tribe, but it has not entered a Class III gaming compact with the state. As a result, the property cannot offer traditional slots, house-banked table games, or sports betting, and instead keeps proceeds from its Class II electronic bingo machines.
NCAA patch policy now includes casinos and sportsbooks
The NCAA’s uniform patch policy allows college athletics programs to take sponsorships from casinos, sportsbooks, and other gaming-related entities. While many schools are expected to add ads to jerseys this season, only two Division I programs had publicly announced casino-related deals in the source report.
The first was New Mexico State, which revealed a July agreement with Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino. That deal covers men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball, and softball. The source report says the Mescalero Apache Tribe is paying New Mexico State $350,000 per year through the 2028-29 season.
The article also notes that Caesars Sportsbook handles in-person bets at the Inn of the Mountain Gods property.
What Florida readers should watch
For Florida readers, the immediate significance is not a change to state betting law, but a new way gambling brands can appear in college sports through sponsorship rules. The key open question is whether other Division I programs, in Florida or elsewhere, follow FIU’s lead and disclose similar casino or sportsbook patch deals this season.
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Source: As reported by casino.org.
