Big 12 inks multiyear entitlement partnership with Monster Energy at Media Days

The Big 12 announced on July 7 that it had signed a new multiyear agreement with Monster Energy, making the beverage company the entitlement partner for the conference’s football and basketball regular seasons. The conference disclosed the deal during its football media days in Frisco, Texas, where the event itself was branded as the 2026 Monster Energy Big 12 Football Media Days. The agreement expands a relationship the two sides had already started in late 2025, when Monster Energy became the conference’s official energy drink partner. The new pact also extends Monster’s branding onto uniforms and playing surfaces, according to the conference. ### When was the partnership announced, and where? July 7 was the date of the formal announcement, according to a Big 12 release issued from Irving, Texas. The conference said the agreement was unveiled the same day media days opened at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, where the 2026 event ran on July 7 and July 8. Tyler Morning Telegraph also reported that media days opened in Frisco on July 7 and that the conference announced a multiyear entitlement partnership with Monster Energy during the event. (big12sports.com) ### What exactly did Monster Energy buy? The Big 12 said Monster Energy is now the entitlement partner of Big 12 Football and Big 12 Basketball regular seasons. The conference said a co-branded Monster Energy and Big 12 Conference logo will appear on football and basketball jerseys, fields and courts, adding a visible in-game component beyond event sponsorship. Yahoo Sports and other local reports matched that description, saying the arrangement includes jersey patches and field logos. (big12sports.com) ### How does this change the media days event itself? The June 26 media-days announcement already referred to the gathering as the 2026 Monster Energy Big 12 Football Media Days, indicating the branding was in place before coaches and players arrived in Frisco. The conference said the two-day event featured 16 programs at the Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters. That naming replaced last year’s “powered by Microsoft Copilot” branding for football media days, based on the conference’s 2025 event materials. (big12sports.com) ### Is there a reported value for the deal? Sports Business Journal reported the agreement is worth about $20 million annually, a figure that has since been cited by local and regional outlets covering the announcement. The Big 12’s own release did not disclose financial terms. Cincinnati.com and News9 both attributed the reported annual value to Sports Business Journal. (big12sports.com) ### Is this a brand-new relationship between the two sides? November 21, 2025, was the date of the conference’s earlier announcement naming Monster Energy the official energy drink partner of the Big 12. In that earlier deal, the conference said Monster would create fan activations and brand integrations at championship events, including student-section sponsorship at the Big 12 Football Championship and a digital presenting role in wrestling. The July 7 agreement builds on that existing partnership by adding entitlement rights for football and basketball regular seasons. (cincinnati.com) ### What comes next under the new branding? The 2026 Big 12 football and basketball regular seasons are the next competitions covered by the entitlement agreement, the conference said. The visible pieces of the deal — co-branded logos on jerseys, football fields and basketball courts — are scheduled to accompany those seasons, according to the July 7 release. The conference has already used the branding at its July 7-8 football media days in Frisco, and future regular-season games will be the next public test of how prominently the partnership appears. (big12sports.com 1) (big12sports.com 2)