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Unlike Ohio State, Saint Joe’s is Too Classy to Reveal How Much Money it Got for Sponsor Patch
By Matt Schultz
Published:
It should come as no surprise that Saint Joseph’s University, the premier higher education institution in the Philadelphia area and across the eastern seaboard of the United States at large, is once again acting as a trailblazer, a leader of thought, an agent of evolution: The Hawks will be the first college team in Pennsylvania – and one of the first in the entire nation – to wear sponsor patches on their jerseys:
It goes without saying that this is a brave step forward in the new reality we all find ourselves in. Universities today face more challenges than ever, and SJU is not one to hide its head in the sand. The school looked at the chaotic terrain ahead and decided, “There’s no going back to the old ways. Forward is the only path for us. The patch is the way. We will do the patch. We will probably be an inspiration to other colleges everywhere. That’s nothing new to us and it doesn’t matter. That’s not why we do things. We simply do what’s best for our students, the campus, knowledge, and understanding.”
And with their famous Jesuit conviction, SJU then boldly struck a deal with Main Line Health – another local leader of wisdom and morality. The partnership is groundbreaking. It’s visionary. It’s a joining of forces between two of the world’s most noble causes (education, health). It’s exactly what Saint Joseph’s is all about.
Sadly, though, this news has been largely drowned out by a similar deal struck by Ohio State University. OSU announced on Tuesday a deal with JPMorganChase, which “sources” then revealed was worth about $17 million per year:
If reading the Ohio State news just now made you nauseous, I cannot blame you. There’s no way around it: the bald greed of OSU’s tenor is repulsive. These “sources” couldn’t wait to throw that number at you. $17 million. OSU’s board probably couldn’t sleep last night because they were so excited for these “sources” to hurl that number into our faces. “$17 million a year… We have sold our souls and the souls of our students for $17 million a year and that’s something we’re glad about…” It’s sickening, but when people tell you who they are, there’s nothing to do but believe them: OSU is all about money. Capitalism. Flaunting. Bragging. Limelight. Et cetera…
Meanwhile, Saint Joe’s took a more dignified approach. SJU is too classy, too respectful, and has too much of a backbone to have “sources” parade around touting dollars and cents, to just up and announce how much money they got in their patch deal. And they know the number doesn’t matter, anyway. That’s not what’s important. What’s really important is the students. The student-athletes. The community. Education. Tradition. Books.
Not OSU. They’re all about attention. They need it. They live for it. They’re in the attention economy. They need eyeballs. Billboards. National TV games. TikTok. Commercials. TikTok dances. Celebrity engagement on their posts. Busy Philipps doing their TikTok dances. Disgusting…
SJU simply can’t relate. SJU’s priorities are less capitalistic. Less greedy. Less transactional. SJU fosters an environment of learning, of insight, of discourse. Saint Joe’s is about community. Togetherness. Books. Microscopes. Basketball, too, of course, but in a more noble way. A more grassroots way. SJU is real. Authentic. Culture. Caring. Family. Ohio State is commercial. Fake. Sell-outs. Et cetera…
Also makes you wonder if Saint Joe’s got more money than OSU did. That seems likely, the more I think about it. Perhaps Saint Joe’s was simply embarrassed to have “sources” say their number out loud. It’s too large. It’s an embarrassment of riches. Yes… That’s probably what it is…
Ohio State partnered with a bank by the way. Forgot to mention that. Revolting… Student athletes beholden to the whims of bankers… Mortgage rates… Wall Street… Coins… Suits… The metaphor is obvious. Ohio State looks at its students as dollars. They see a bunch of cents walking around campus. They see quarters wearing pants. Dimes in glasses. All of Columbus is a vault. Where the students are inside of. And the combination is 17,000,000…
On the other hand, SJU has partnered with doctors. Surgeons. Nurses. MRI machines. Stuff like that. Newborns. Incubators. Hand sanitizer. Gloves. Saving lives…
Then there’s the fact that SJU got more money. The more I think about it, that’s the scenario that makes the most sense, if you read between the lines.
Enjoy your dirty bank money, OSU. Saint Joe’s has taken the high road, and as an SJU alum, I couldn’t be more proud. Especially because we got more money and we’re a blue-chip basketball program now. Just goes to show, good things happen to good people.
Ohio State chose interest rates. Saint Joe’s chose an interest in saving lives…
Ohio State picked bank tellers. Saint Joe’s picked positive diagnosis tellers…
Ohio State is in bed with the banks. Saint Joe’s is in a hospital bed with a guy saying, “You saved my life, thanks…”
Plus Saint Joe’s got around $30 million for the patches. Pretty sure that’s the number. That’s what the breadcrumbs are telling me.
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…) email: M.Schultz@sportradar.com