The court at Mizzou Arena will look a little different this upcoming season.
Missouri athletics announced Wednesday, Nov. 5, that the logos for companies Central Bank and Mpix will be displayed on Norm Stewart Court for home Missouri men’s and women’s basketball games in the 2025-26 season. Both companies are long-time partners of the university with prominent local ties to Columbia.
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The logos were placed on the court shortly after Missouri women’s basketball’s win over Central Arkansas on Monday, Nov. 3.
The deal was managed by Mizzou Sports Properties, which is Missouri’s local Learfield affiliate.
The first game on the new-look Norm Stewart Court will be Friday, Nov. 7, when Dennis Gates’ Tigers open their home slate with a 7 p.m. tipoff against Southeast Missouri State.
Missouri women’s basketball, now coached by Kellie Harper, is on the road for its next game Thursday at Tulane, but the Tigers’ next home contest is Tuesday, Nov. 11, against Arkansas State.
More: Missouri women’s basketball opens Kellie Harper era with win, but challenges stack
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The financial details for the on-court sponsorship logo were not publicly available information at the time of the announcement.
The NCAA approved on-field sponsor logos in June 2024. Missouri football was among the first wave of schools to take advantage of the potential revenue stream, partnering with Shelter Insurance and EquipmentShare for sponsored logos placed on Faurot Field ahead of the 2024 season.
Reported estimates at the time of the rule change in 2024 indicated that football field sponsorships for Power Four schools could start at $300,000 and, in some instances, may be worth millions of dollars at top-level schools.
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Basketball court sponsorships are likely to widely come at a lower price point and it’s unclear how much Mizzou is set to make from the new sponsorships, but those reports offer a decent frame of reference for the revenue stream that the Tigers stand to benefit from.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Central Bank and Mpix for their support and belief in what Mizzou Athletics means to this community,” Missouri athletic director Laird Veatch said in a news release. “These partnerships show how working together can benefit everyone involved. Central Bank and Mpix are trusted local leaders who understand the impact Mizzou has across this region, and their commitment helps us strengthen the bond between our teams, our fans and the broader Missouri community.”
Norm Stewart Court at Mizzou Arena is pictured with new on-court sponsorships from Central Bank and Mpix, which will be on display beginning Friday, Nov. 11, in Columbia. Photo courtesy of Mizzou athletics.
In the revenue-sharing era of college athletics, schools are now able to distribute $20.5 million of revenue to student-athletes. That price point is expected to grow year over year, meaning athletic departments who opt in at the full amount, like Missouri, are on the hook for more and more money to build competitive teams.
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MU is exploring multiple avenues to generate new revenue in this new age.
Mizzou athletics also has announced premium seating for basketball games this season, with a second row of courtside seats added along the sideline and new seating added along each baseline.
The addition of baseline seating at each end of the court caused a brief online disagreement between the athletic department and Missouri basketball’s longtime leading student fan group, The Antlers.
The student section at Mizzou Arena was initially moved back multiple rows to make room for the premium seats, and a barricade was placed at the front of the west stand at the arena — where the student section stands.
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The Antlers voiced displeasure with the change on social media, but the relevant parties have since come to an agreement.
The premium seating will remain on the west baseline, but the student section returned closer to the court in the latest change — now just one row further back than it was last season. There is still a barricade at the front of the student section, which was not in place last season.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri athletics adding on-court sponsors at Mizzou Arena
