KU’s New Partnership with Ripple Sparks Mixed Reactions from Kansas Jayhawk Fans

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On Wednesday, KU Athletics announced a historic new partnership with Ripple, a San Francisco-based company that specializes in cryptocurrency, providing blockchain enterprise solutions across traditional and digital finance channels.

Ripple is best known for its production of XRP – a type of high-speed cryptocurrency used to transfer money globally in seconds and at a fraction of the cost of traditional banking. The company is led by CEO Brad Garlinghouse, a KU alumnus and benefactor who was instrumental in establishing the partnership along with Jayhawk Sports Properties of Learfield and the KU Athletics department.

“This era of college athletics demands innovative, forward-thinking partnerships,” said Kansas Athletics Director Travis Goff. “Ripple recognizes the unique reach and passion of the Jayhawk community, and we’re proud they have chosen Kansas Athletics as a premier platform to introduce XRP to millions of sports fans. Having the XRP logo displayed on our Jayhawk uniforms reflects a shared commitment to innovation and excellence.”

As part of the new agreement, KU will now have an XRP patch on the uniform of every Kansas Athletics team. It marks the first time that cryptocurrency will be incorporated into the jersey of a major college athletics program.

The partnership establishes new funding from Ripple for financial and technology programs at the university and will help connect Kansas graduates to careers in the technology industry. And although not explicitly stated in the news release from KU, the agreement also comes with a substantial contribution to KU’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective, according to the Kansas City Star.

Fan Reactions

The announcement was met with mixed responses from Jayhawks fans on social media.

While many praised KU for coming up with a creative solution to help boost NIL funding, many did not like the idea of adding a patch to the jerseys and/or partnering with a company who deals with cryptocurrency – a relatively new technology that experiences market volatility and regulation concerns.

One KU fan called it a “massive W.”

“Travis Goff and the rest of our athletic leadership have done a phenomenal job in enhancing Kansas’ brand, and also adapting and pursuing more opportunities to support that brand,” siad X user Colton Neu. “XRP will become a major player alongside crypto for years to come.”

Another KU account fan said, “Embarrassing to be a to have a scam coin on our jerseys. Wow.”

One fan said, “College sports has been completely ruined with NIL and this crap. A bunch of sell outs. Our priorities has gotten so far out of whack. Disappointed KU, do better and lead the charge to get back to real college athletics.”

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